


the prince of the playground, with all your alphabet toys

by cakecakecake



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: Aromantic, Blow Jobs, Character Development, Cunnilingus, Dirty Talk, Elevator Sex, F/M, Fingerfucking, Friends With Benefits, Office Sex, Secretaries With Benefits, Sexual Tension, Vaginal Sex, kaiba WAS a fucking douchebag, not so slow burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-16
Updated: 2017-10-10
Packaged: 2018-10-06 04:59:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 23,357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10326110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cakecakecake/pseuds/cakecakecake
Summary: you were the knot at the end of kaiba's string of secretaries.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> this is gonna be real nasty; i wrote kaiba as a really big fucking douchebag lol this is all very crude and not romantic and explicit and probably with no happy ending. but if that sounds like good shit to you please grab some tea and enjoy.

Seto Kaiba is not sentimental.

When his very first secretary had to resign, he didn't have flowers delivered to her desk on her last day. Didn't write her a thank-you card, didn't buy her lunch like any normal boss would. In fact, he'd told her to stay later than usual--told her to report to his office at five sharp, or she could forget about using him as a reference in the future. He was as stern and short with her as he always had been, careful not to give her any ideas. Couldn't allow her to read too much into anything. He didn't even look up when she walked through the door.

"Mr. Kaiba?"

Kaiba rolled his eyes, heaving out a frustrated breath. Fucking Aiko, always saying his name like a fucking question. Looking at him timidly with her doleful baby-doll eyes like a helpless little mutt. She wouldn't be the last girl he'd hire with that kind of wide-eyed stare. 

"Come here, Aiko."

"Um--" she hesitated, freezing when he rose from his chair. "Is there something else I can do before I--"

Kaiba snaked an arm around her waist and pulled her close, silencing her with a firm, demanding kiss, thanking the higher powers of the universe that this was the last time he'd have to hear her ask that infuriating question. Every single day, without fail, before clocking out: "is there anything else I can do?" and every time he'd wanted to tell her to duck her head under his desk and do something more productive with her mouth. (Well, now he could, but he wasn't so bold yet, not at this point in time.) Aiko would be the humble beginning of his string of adventures, parting only with the gift of getting to taste his mouth on hers. Her knees buckled as he pulled away and he let himself laugh hollowly, amused. He moved back to sit at his desk again and it took her about twenty seconds too long to realize that he wasn't going to say anything else, so she pushed her hair behind her reddening ears and made her way for the door.

"Um--it's been a pleasure working for you, Mr. Kaiba."

He smirked. It'd be even more so for the next girl.

*

Bunko was next, after Aiko. She was a college freshman who lived alone with a turtle and never spoke unless spoken to and Kaiba _loved_ that. She never asked bull-headed questions and only needed to be given instructions once. A good little dog. She wore too-tight pencil skirts and dainty bralettes that would peek over her sleazily unbuttoned blouses. Bunko had a bad habit of bending over to sort the filing cabinet whenever Kaiba was passing by her cubicle and after three weeks of this unthinkable torture, he decided he was going to punish her for it. 

He slammed his hand on her desk, making her head snap up to meet his gaze. He let his eyes drop pointedly to the pink lace of her bra peering out from her too-low cut dress. "Cancel my four o' clock and get to my office immediately."

Bunko swallowed visibly, but otherwise appeared unfazed, straightening her back and reaching for the phone with a nod. She was knocking at his door less than ten minutes later and Kaiba greeted her with a shove against the wall and his hands around her throat. 

The girl moaned, her head hitting the wall as she carelessly tossed it back. Kaiba dropped to his knees and drew up her dress, diving his head between her thickset thighs, chuckling at her desperate gasps. Her hands had found his hair so quickly; she was pulling too hard, but the noises she made were so pleasant he guessed he'd let it slide. He looked up at her as he dragged her panties down with his teeth, watching her face contort in surprise and pleasure. 

Kaiba had only allowed one other woman the honor of feeling his tongue in her cunt at this point; he was not yet confident in his skill, but fuck if he was going to allow her to think he was any less than an expert. He followed his instincts, sucking at her clit, not forgetting to use his fingers, paying attention to what moves were drawing the pathetic whimpers out of her. Her legs weren't going to be able to hold her up much longer so he paused to pin her to floor instead, eating to his fill and giving her the scolding of the century when she didn't warn him that she was cumming. 

"If you don't mind your manners and tell me, I'll make certain there won't be a next time. Now get out of my office."

Bunko would get three more next-times before transferring departments. 

* 

Cindy followed right after Bunko. She was a temp, an American girl with nice tits and bright, blue eyes. She wore red lipstick every day and painted her nails at her desk every Friday. She liked to think she was being cute by trying to make mundane things look titillating, like brushing her hands over his when going over documents or making eye contact while licking the whipped cream off of her mocha, but she wasn't. She was just fucking annoying. Like a spoiled, yippy pomeranian. Maybe that kind of stupidity worked on the guys back home, but not here. Certainly not with Kaiba. Teasing is for children and he had no time to waste.

She _was_ hot, though, and it was obvious she wanted him _so_ badly, so before her time was up he decided to grace her with the presence of his cock in her eager little mouth. She took his entire length so easily, his cock enveloped so deeply in her throat he was almost (almost) worried that she'd suffocate, but she hummed happily (annoyingly) the entire time. 

"Look up at me, Cindy."

Her blue eyes met his own, boring into him like she was expecting something to be said. He pulled on her hair, his cock falling out of her mouth with a pop--"Unbutton your shirt. Quickly."

With aggravating giggles, she slid her shirt off her shoulders and unhooked her bra, her tits spilling from their confines and he raised an eyebrow, mildly impressed. Bad at following directions, but he appreciated her willingness to please--or was it her desire to show-off? Either way, she looked hot, felt hot with her big tits squeezing his cock and that was all that really mattered in the moment. He spilled his cum all over her chest and neck, admiring the sloppy mess he'd made of her. Kaiba's breathing evened out and suddenly the red lipstains on his groin were extremely irritating. She needed to be told twice to get back to work, ensuring that this would be the only time she'd have the privilege of fucking around with Seto Kaiba. 

*

Two more girls would follow Cindy, two more before the last one. 

The first only lasted until the holidays: Dia, a charming, sensible woman about ten years older than Kaiba, with a pointed nose and thick-rimmed glasses. He had her bent over his desk within the first week. 

Dia was not only competent, but obedient, patient, and fucking _quiet_ \--that was, until she was getting his cock slammed into her pussy. He'd pull her hair from the tight knot behind her head and toss her glasses aside and fuck her on top of pre-proofed documents--tearing her pantyhose and soaking her panties through. Kaiba lost track of how many meetings he canceled in favor of fucking that woman senseless. Dia never asked to see him outside of work, which he was grateful for at first, but after a few months of staying after hours to get each other off, he started wondering why, just out of curiosity. 

He didn't find out until she quit because her husband was coming back to Japan. 

Kaiba decided to do personal screenings before hiring another secretary after that. Emi was the first and only girl he interviewed to take over the position.

Emi was a tiny woman, barely tall enough to meet his waist when she stood before him. Kaiba guessed that she got mistaken for a schoolgirl often, especially without the makeup. She wore her hair in a tidy ponytail and hardly blinked her round, doe eyes when she was being given instructions. Something about the girl was uncomfortably robotic, but as long as she could do the job and do it fucking correctly, Kaiba hardly cared. He hired her on the spot. Whether this was out of impatience or the desire to get her under his desk as quickly as he could, he didn't know. Emi's head would surely be bobbing between his thighs in a matter of days, regardless.

Emi was probably the most efficient secretary he'd ever had--proofreading documents before Kaiba would even know that they were delivered, scheduling appointments in advance, making phone calls for him so he wouldn't have to waste his precious time with imbeciles. She even dropped off his coffee each morning at nine without needing to be prompted--and she knew exactly how he liked it (with two extra shots, no room for cream). Emi was a dream come true--except for the fact that she showed no signs of wanting to drown in his cum.

No embarrassing flirting tactics were being put into action. There were no coy little post-it notes on his files, no lingering touches, no giggles during the redirection of any phone calls. Nothing. Not one thing could seem to distract this girl from her work, not the rasp in his voice when he told her to organize files nor the way his chest leaned into her back in the crowded elevators. She was so maddeningly focused on her job that he was getting annoyed. 

After a month, Kaiba was already fed up. He called her up to his office after five on a Monday, intent on solving this baffling mystery.

She knocked first, and he allowed her entry. Her hair was down that day, falling about her shoulders and framing her rounded, youthful face handsomely. The length of her skirt was not inappropriate but made his chest tighten anyway. He cleared his throat and she flashed a humble smile.

"You wanted to see me, sir?"

Sir. Another thing so odd. Emi never said "Mr. Kaiba"--it was always _sir_ , sir, sir. The word grated on his nerves. 

"Have a seat."

"Am I being fired?" 

He almost laughed. So she did have some kind of sense of humor. "No. I wanted to ask something of you."

"Oh, by all means, anything," she said dutifully, her eyes unblinking. 

"Why did you want this job?" 

He was blunt, plain, the only way he knew how to be. He folded his hands under his chin, deciding that he would be patient with her. For now. He was genuinely intrigued.

"Well, I've always been passionate about being able to afford my basic needs."

Kaiba chuckled. How entertaining. He wasn't regretting this so far. "Your passion shows through, Emi. I've never had such an able assistant."

"That's very kind of you to say, sir," she said pleasantly, unmoving in her chair. "I'm very glad that my effort is to your liking."

Kaiba smirked, eyeing her curiously as he spat his next sentence, "It is. You've been a good girl."

The line that usually brings a flush of red creeping across women's cheeks brought no color to the girl's face. Emi remained stately and poised, but her chest did rise with a heavy breath. "You didn't call me up here just to tell me that, did you sir?"

"Smart girl," he offered, leaning forward on the desk on his elbows. "I won't toy with you, then. Did you apply for this job because you wanted to sleep with me?"

Emi's mouth fell open. "S-Sir?"

"I don't like repeating myself," he grunted. 

She coughed uncomfortably. "I'm sorry, I--you really think I applied for this position in order to get the chance to sleep with _you_ , the CEO of this corporation?"

"No, that's why I'm _asking_ you," he snapped, finally feeling his patience wearing thin. "I'm genuinely curious. Having a secretary who doesn't want to fuck me is incredibly boring."

"Is this some kind of trick?" Her voice had begun to shake. Finally. "Are you going to fire me based on my answer?"

"At this point I'm going to fire you if you _don't_ answer," he said truthfully, twirling a pen between his fingers. "Do you really think I'd fire my most capable assistant to date over something as stupid as feelings? The only thing I want to hear is an honest answer."

"No," she blurted immediately. Kaiba swallowed, eyebrows knitting together as his lips pressed into a thin line. Emi's shoulders fell, her face crestfallen as she shook her head. "No. I didn't."

Distressing silence befell the office as he waited for her to elaborate. He really wasn't in the mood to ask more questions, especially not after that unsatisfactory answer, so he stared daggers at her, feeling his blood pressure rise--

"I applied because I needed something that paid well enough for me to take care of my little sister. I promise I had no ulterior motives, sir."

Ulterior motives. The knots in his chest tightened. "I see."

"I apologize for being a boring secretary, sir."

Kaiba slammed a hand on his desk and she nearly jumped from her seat. "You don't have to apologize. You don't have to do anything. You're free to go home for the day."

Emi left his office hurriedly and without another word. Groaning, Kaiba pinched the bridge of his nose. Well that was certainly the most embarrassing conversation he'd ever had. And she even had the nerve to _apologize_ for not wanting to fuck him, God. He made the mental note to pull out her resume the next morning and look over her qualifications again--if he remembered correctly, there were a few openings in the other departments that he could transfer her to. If she didn't really want to suck his cock then she'd surely have no problem with an adjustment. 

Perhaps he should look into downloading an app for hooking up, while he was at it--relying on his coworkers to satisfy him had lost its convenience. It was decided, then--Kaiba would swear off mixing business with pleasure until further notice. 

Until, well. You.


	2. Chapter 2

Kaiba would have only two months of solace before you would be interviewed. Emi was transferred out and Mokuba was tasked with the busywork until the proper position would finally be filled by you. With just three months until the opening of a second Kaiba Land in the United States and Mokuba still in school, he didn't want to stress his little brother with so much responsibility--he was going to need an assistant, and quickly, whether he liked it or not. Kaiba was prepared to hire nearly anyone with a passable resume at this point, and your experience was more than acceptable--although that wasn't exactly what would make up his mind.

You knocked timidly at his office door at eleven in the morning. "Come in."

He was fixated on his computer screen for several minutes before he acknowledged you. He felt your eyes on him of course, felt your intimidated stare upon looking him over in his fitted black suit--he knew what you must be thinking and he didn't like it. You asked to sit down in a voice smaller than he was sure you'd intended and he made a non-committal noise of approval. He let you squirm in your seat for a bit--he knew that if you weren't nervous before, you certainly were now. You'd never seen him in person before; it must have been so overwhelming for you, looking at him this close. Kaiba only allowed so much of his image to be photoshopped in shoots--yes, his eyes really were that blue, and yes, his chest was that defined. The years of studying martial arts weren't going to be left unnoticed. Your anxious breathing was finally loud enough for him to close out of his e-mails and redirect his attention on you.

Kaiba swallowed upon locking eyes with you, assessing your appearance carefully and hating that he liked what he was seeing. Smooth skin, shapely figure, and features distinguished enough that even without accentuating makeup, he was certain you'd still be attractive. The false eyelashes and perfectly manicured nails were unnecessary, but the effort was appreciated. If you were worried about your resume not being enough to impress, you certainly tried to make up for it in your looks. The blue bow around your neck was a nice touch, hiding the size of your chest but your white dress was hugging your waist just enough to be terribly distracting. 

You fidgeted in your chair as he continued studying your body, an endearing shade of magenta creeping across your cheeks. Your hands were wrung in your lap and you were biting your lip and he shifted uneasily, clearing his throat. Deciding that you were pretty would only mean trouble for him, so he perished the thought, for now, pulling up your file in his updated hiring program.

"So." He said your name huskily, ignoring your gasp upon hearing him speak it. "It seems you have quite a bit of experience."

"Yes," you confirmed, nodding. "I was just working for an independent business, but my responsibilities were pretty much all the same as the ones described in the--"

"You've mastered every program listed on the requirements," he noticed, focusing on your file rather than on your face. "So I'm not exactly worried about your competency. It's not a particularly _difficult_ job, however, it _will_ be demanding. Kaiba Land U.S. opens in three months and I'll need you ready at a moment's notice for anything, whether it's organizing emergency meetings or booking last-minute flights. This position requires you to be at my beck and call, even outside the office, at times. I'll have to work you like a _dog_."

Kaiba honestly didn't notice the suggestion in that phrase until he saw the blush deepen in your cheeks. Scolding himself, he coughed--the last he needed to be doing was toying with you, even unintentionally--

So he added, sternly, "Do you think you can handle that?" 

"I have pretty much no life outside of work," you joked. "I'd be prepared to devote as much of myself as needed to the corporation."

"Good." He leaned back in his chair. "I'll have Derek downstairs assign you a keycard. My brother will show you your desk and then you're free for the rest of the day. The real work begins tomorrow. Report to my office at nine o' clock."

You looked at him like you couldn't believe what he'd just told you, your eyes boring holes into him. Not even Day One and you'd already cursed him with that doe-eyed stare. "I'm--you're hiring me?"

"Do you think you're getting a keycard and a desk for fun?" he snapped, annoyed that he wasn't annoyed by your childish inquiry. "You'll find very quickly that I don't enjoy repeating myself-- _yes_ , you're hired. Now get downstairs before you make me second-guess myself." 

You smiled brightly, eyes lighting up as you thanked him. You moved to shake his hand and he stared blankly for a moment in hesitation--but he permitted your touch, noting how warm and smooth your fingers were. You placed your other hand on his too, still giggling in girlish delight, and he yanked away abruptly with a cough. You said "thank you" one more time before tucking your hair behind your ears and whirling around to leave. Once the door shut, Kaiba sank far down into his chair and buzzed for Mokuba's line--he'd stop needing to enlist the help of his younger brother one day, but that wouldn't be today.

"Good afternoon! Mokuba Kaiba speaki--"

"It's me."

"Oh, hey! Sorry I wasn't looking at the Caller ID--"

"She's cute."

"Wh--?"

"The girl."

"What girl, the girl you just interviewed?"

"The girl I just hired."

"You _hired_ her?! Just like that?"

"I did. And I think she's into me."

"You sure? How can you tell?"

"She was a fidgeting, blushing _mess_ who couldn't stop staring--she was completely transparent, she wasn't even trying to hide it, it was _pathetic_ \--"

"And you _hired_ her!" Mokuba howled laughter into the speaker and Kaiba just groaned. "Wow, Big Brother, you really screwed up, huh?"

"If I wanted to be roasted I'd be calling the cook," he grunted, "I need your help."

Mokuba laughed a little bit more but softened. "Of course, Seto."

"If I'm going to keep her for longer than a month, I need her intimidated," he gritted his teeth. "I need to appear as unavailable as possible--"

"Can I tell her you're married? Or engaged? Hey, remember those rumors about you being gay a couple years ago--"

" _Mokuba_ ," he strained, "I need you to focus. Don't feed her lies--just make sure it's clear that I'm untouchable. I can't let her have even a glimmer of hope."

"'No mixing business with pleasure.' I got it," Mokuba sighed. "Geez, you got so boring, Seto." 

"It's a crucial time for Kaiba Corp. I don't have the luxury of fucking around."

"But what if you end up really liking--"

"Don't," he cut him off. "The media's eyes are going to be glued to me for the rest of the year. You know I can't afford--"

"Yeah, I know, I know," Mokuba whined. "Scandals and all that--I get it, Big Brother."

"Too many little boys look up to me, all over the world," Kaiba said solemnly, more so to himself than to his brother. "People expect me to be setting a good example for them. I don't have time to misbehave."

"I think you're worrying way too much," Mokuba poked at him, "but I understand--you know I've got your back, Seto."

" _You_ better be behaving yourself too, Mokuba," he reminded him curtly, just in case he forgot. "You've got eyes on you, too, you know."

"Does this mean I have to quit smoking?"

"When did you _start_ \--"

"Kidding! Kidding! I'm kidding--"

" _Mokuba_ \--"

"Sorry! Geez, you really can't even take a joke lately--"

"Just show the girl around the office and go home."

"Okay!"

"And have Derek make that keycard for her."

"Okay, okay! Hanging up--"

Kaiba groaned, rubbing at his temples and squeezing his eyes shut. There were eighty-nine days left until the grand opening, and something told him that each one was going to be grueling.


	3. Chapter 3

You were at Kaiba's office door at nine that first morning with a binder of stamped documents and a blue ribbon in your hair. The customized scheduling application you shared with him was updated with the most current information, and his flight to New York had already been booked--Mokuba had definitely given you the means to get a head start to impress him and he hated it. He handed you a sizable stack of papers and told you to have them filed by the end of the day; you were done before lunch, since you'd already done everything else. You were back in his office at eleven-thirty with a steaming mug of coffee and an eager grin. 

"Two extra shots?"

He didn't blink away from his computer. "I see Mokuba's training you well."

You smiled, setting the mug down near his nameplate. "Barbara Madison wants to postpone your meeting 'til Friday--I told her I'd confirm a time with you before rewriting the schedule. Wakefield Middle School is touring next week on Tuesday during lunch hour, but the number of kids is undetermined right now--I _did_ tell them no more than twelve children, though. Oh, and the tech guys are coming in after hours tonight to do routine maintenance on all the computers on the main floor."

Kaiba sipped from his mug with his eyes still focused on his screen. "Tell Barbara I'll put her down for three o' clock. Make sure Wakefield is visiting on their lunch hour, not mine, and remind them my bodyguard will be conducting the tour, not me. And call back IT to make sure they know that I'm paying them to do maintenance on the security systems, not just the computers."

You nodded and smiled, tapping your little black book and turning on your heel. Kaiba watched your little blue ribbon bounce in your hair in time with the pep in your step--how cute. How very annoyingly cute.

*

You'd spent the morning of Barbara's meeting preparing the portfolio of prototypes and organizing blueprints for the last-minute addition to Kaiba Land U.S., unaware that you'd be sitting in on this meeting and taking notes and catering to whatever your boss needed. When he asked you sharply where you thought you were going when you made to leave his office at two-thirty-three, you met him with that bewildered stare he so loathed.

"Oh, um--back to my desk?"

"No you're not. It's crucial that you sit in on this meeting with me."

You fiddled with the hem of your skirt, a nervous tick he'd soon grow familiar with. "Oh--"

"I'll need you to take note of any important information we go over."

"How will I--"

"I'll tell you," he cut you off, adjusting his tie. "Come on. Follow me to the conference room."

You hovered toward the main elevators, but Kaiba hissed, disproving. "We'll take a more private route."

Your eyes widened at his usage of private--he sighed. He'd have to work harder at minding his language. Honestly, if you were going to be riled _this_ easily--he scanned his keycard and pressed the downward button--

"There's too much traffic in the main elevators. If I need to be somewhere else in the building, this gets me there without having to wait five minutes in a crowd."

"Oh," you said, realizing. The doors drew open and he could see your surprise at the size--the compartment was rather small, made just to fit Kaiba himself after all, but it would accommodate you both. He let you step in first and slid in after, his arm brushing against yours as he pushed another button. You were backed up against the wall, your hips angled towards his unintentionally and he swallowed. When was the last time he had somebody pinned up inside this very elevator? He could hear your breaths, uneven and nervous, and it was making his own grow shallow. You twirled a finger around your hair ribbon, looking anywhere but up at him and he watched you from the corner of his eye, his heart rate speeding up at the thought of turning you around, your ass pressed against him, your hair balled up in his fist--how loud would you get inside this compact little space with no one but him to hear you? 

"Mr. Kaiba?"

You gently touched at his arm for a moment and he snapped out of it, jerking away--

"I think this is the right floor, yes?" you asked, clutching your planner. 

Kaiba darted out of the elevator and swept into a brisk walk toward the conference room with you almost jogging behind to keep up. He unlocked the door and told you to prepare coffee in the lounge just across the hall and then excused himself to the bathroom--there was no way he was going to sit alone with you in that room for twenty minutes in this kind of mood. He'd splash his face with cold water and wait for the swelling in his pants to go down and then he could handle this meeting. He stared at his face in the mirror, cursing himself. Eighty-three days. 

*

It was only two o' clock on a Wednesday and Kaiba was on coffee number three, nearly done with sorting through the e-mails when the alert for a new message sounded. The sending address was from you, which was strange--there was no reason for you to be e-mailing him except to forward any messages meant for him. He sipped from his mug and eyed his screen curiously.

_To: ceokaibasetokc@kaibacorp.org_  
From: assistantseckc@kaibacorp.org  
Subject: (no subject) 

_I know you're mad right now, but you know that ignoring me isn't going to solve our problems. I really thought you'd be excited for me. Working for Kaiba Corp could change our lives for the better if you'd stop being so childish. You really upset me too, you know, by saying all that awful shit. It was really rude and uncalled for and you not answering your phone makes it all feel even worse. I don't have time to put up with petty bullshit so you need to come talk to me or else I'm done. This is your last chance. Meet me after work tomorrow, please._

Kaiba knew one sentence in that this e-mail clearly was not meant to be seen by him--or by anyone else who wasn't who he assumed was your partner, but he'd read the whole thing anyway. Heat rose in his face as he clicked out of the mail application and gripped his coffee mug--he wouldn't have guessed that you were in a relationship at all from the way you behaved. Or perhaps you weren't behaving any certain way and he was just seeing what he wanted to see, but he wasn't going to accept being wrong about his instincts. No, he definitely had to be right. Either way, he supposed it didn't matter--you were with someone who clearly didn't deserve you, and he was certain it wouldn't be a problem much longer. He buzzed you up to his office and waited with his fingers folded under his chin.

"Something wrong, boss?" you chirped innocently, poking your head through his door. He cleared his throat.

"You need to be more careful about your e-mails."

"Wh-what?"

"I don't mind you using your address here for personal matters, but you might want to double check your addressees before you hit send."

Your face went white and he shook his head. "You're not in trouble, if that's what you're afraid of."

"O-Oh," you started to stammer, "I--I'm sorry, I was so mad I wasn't really paying attention at all--"

"It's fine," he told you, and he meant it. "Like I said, just be careful. There are people in this company who gossip and you don't want to accidentally give them more tea to spill." 

"R-Right," you agreed. "I'll be less hasty. Thank you, boss."

Kaiba nodded as you turned, but then said your name. 

"Obviously I don't know your situation," he began, "and your personal matters don't concern me at all. But. If you need someone taken care of...I have ways of doing so."

You giggled, the color coming back to your face as you played with your necktie. "I'll keep that in mind, Mr. Kaiba. Thank you."

You closed the door and Kaiba groaned, rubbing at his temples, his own patience with himself thinning out. He told himself that he wasn't being nice because you were attractive, it was just to make sure your work ethic didn't falter. You needed to stay happy or else the duration of this developmental period was going to be rough. Can't have a heartbroken secretary at such a crucial time for the company. There were seventy-seven days left until the opening and you needed to be doing your best each day. 

Kaiba debated reaching for the phone; he could easily call Mokuba and have him peek at your contact list and find your partner's address, but he didn't. No, that would mean he cares more than he really does, and he doesn't care. Not at all.


	4. Chapter 4

Nearly two days later, Kaiba was still thinking about that e-mail. It was wrong of him to read it, but even more wrong to still be thinking of it and of _you_. There was absolutely no reason for him to be curious about your personal affairs, even _if_ they had the potential to impact your performance at work. He was voicing his concerns to Mokuba over the phone during lunch and of course, his little brother was about as helpful as he expected.

"Wouldn't it be easier to just admit that you're interested in her instead of making up lame excuses?"

"I'm not _interested_ in her, Mokuba," he argued, stabbing a tomato with his fork. 

"Denial isn't just a river in Egypt, ya know."

"How funny you are." 

"Not as funny as you, Seto."

" _Mokuba_ \--"

His brother's breath hitched on the other end. "H-Hold on, Big Brother--"

"What," he snapped; he could hear Mokuba shuffling around at his desk--

"Seto--look out your window--"

He did. And he did not like what he saw: you, at the curb near the front entrance, arms folded and head bent as somebody--a guy, it seemed, probably about your age, making aggressive gestures at you and shouting. He towered over you, much like Kaiba did himself, menacing and dangerous--it took only a few moments for him to realize that this was a fight, and when your boyfriend stepped just a little too closely to you, pointed his finger just a little too close to your face, he gripped the reciever--

"Get Roland out there, now."

"Seto, are you sure that's a--"

" _Now_."

Mokuba went quiet for a moment and within a minute, Kaiba watched as his bodyguard rushed outside and laid a protective arm over your shoulder. Your boyfriend yelled something at you and Roland said something into his walkie talkie and you ran inside with your face in your hands, presumably in tears. He shouted something else after you before getting into his car and driving off, and then Kaiba's other line buzzed--

"All clear, sir."

"Thank you, Roland. Let the team know that if he comes within two-hundred feet of this place again it's an immediate arrest."

"Roger."

"Mokuba?" Kaiba tapped back into his main line. 

"Hey," his brother said shakily.

"Make sure she's alright."

"You got it."

Kaiba hung up, willing his blood pressure to calm, trying to refocus on his work, but it was hopeless. If he hadn't called Roland, what would that guy have done to you? Was he feeling...relief upon ensuring your safety? 

Well, that was normal, wasn't it? If you'd gotten hurt, he'd have to find someone else to fill your position, or put stress on his little brother again--right, it wasn't about you in particular being safe, it was all about what's best for the business. Completely normal and reasonable relief. Kaiba evened his breathing and resumed his work, his line buzzing half an hour later.

"What is it."

"She's really shaken up, Seto," he said woefully. 

"What did they fight about?"

He sounded defeated. "I don't know exactly, she didn't tell me. But they're definitely not together anymore."

Ignoring the leaping in his chest, Kaiba coughed, "I see."

"There's still a big problem though," Mokuba added, and Kaiba grunted. "They share an apartment, and she didn't say it, but I know she's afraid to go back there."

"They live together?"

"Well, not for much longer, I hope--"

"Call Roland back," Kaiba started, talking faster than he was thinking. "I'll arrange for a team to escort her in gathering her belongings."

"Today?" Mokuba hiccuped. "But where will she go?"

"She can stay in the guest wing until she figures out a more permanent situation," he answered, trying to keep his voice even.

Mokuba dissolved into amused chuckles. "Wow, Seto. That's really nice of you to do for someone you don't like."

"That guy was obviously dangerous and I can't risk the safety of my most valuable employee," he bit back. "Now call Roland."

Kaiba hung up before his brother could offer any further cheeky comments and dragged his fingers down his face. He almost couldn't believe he was doing this, but then again, he could--he'll say he doesn't care and then turn around and do the kindest fathomable thing. How many times had he done it for Yugi Mutou and his idiot friends--why should he stop there? Why not buy the girl her own apartment while he was at it? It's not really an act of kindness if he can maintain his heart of steel, right? That's what he'll keep telling himself--at least for another seventy-five days.

*

Kaiba hadn't joined you and Mokuba for dinner that night. He was intent on keeping to himself for the rest of the night and weekend--he didn't do well with words of comfort and had no idea what to say to you about the whole...ordeal. But to his dismay (or not), he passed by the guest bathroom just as soon as you had emerged from taking a shower with little covering yourself except a skimpy towel.

" _Boss_ \--!"

Kaiba gasped, nearly stumbling as you clutched the towel around yourself, steam clouding the hallway. He averted his gaze from your dripping hair and glistening skin and you darted back behind the door.

"Oh, _God_ , I am so sorry Mr. Kaiba--"

"It's fine," he said right away, "I didn't see anything." _Regrettably_. He cleared his throat, feeling searing heat coiling up in his gut--

"I thought you went to bed early or something, I didn't think you'd be--"

"Forget about it," he said over the blood pounding in his ears, "just put some clothes on if you're going to continue running around my manor."

He didn't stick around to hear your reply; his legs were already carrying him off to the lounge where he brewed some tea and cursed his thumping heartbeat--what kind of pathetic schoolboy bullshit was this? Getting all excited over a woman naked in his home like a thirsty teenager--it wasn't like he hadn't thought about you naked before. Because he had. You bent over his desk, or pinned up against the glass walls in his office; images he'd pictured since the day you were hired--but he didn't think he'd be seeing anything remotely related to that in actuality. He preferred not to--fantasies were harmless, and real life was so complicated. 

Kaiba poured his tea, zoning out looking into the contents of the cup. Complicated. Yes, much about Seto Kaiba was very complicated, that much was common knowledge. But nobody really considered _how_. Not even he was sure himself. His desires, his needs, his wants--even he didn't know. He didn't have the time to figure it out. He knew what he liked and he liked to be left alone. But sometimes...

"Hey."

A sharp inhale and you winced, apologizing profusely again. Kaiba groaned bubbles into his tea.

"How kind of you to be dressed."

You blushed furiously. "Sorry."

"It was an accident. Stop worrying about it." He gestured to the teapot. "Would you like some."

"What kind?" 

"Hibiscus." 

"I'd love some."

"Then pour it yourself." Kaiba took his cup and strode over to the chaise, watching you out of his peripheral. He sipped slowly as you clutched your robe around yourself and then settled into a chair near him.

"Thank you."

"It's fine."

"No, I mean for letting me stay," you said shyly. "You really didn't have to."

"I know I didn't," he said sharply. "Besides, it's not like it's permanent."

"No, I know, I wouldn't wanna impose upon you for very long," you said sheepishly. 

"Take whatever time you need," Kaiba said, staring ahead out the window. It had started to rain, but the moon was still shining. 

"Thank you," you said softly. The two of you were quiet for a minute, or maybe five. Kaiba glanced at you between moments, studying the curve of your lips as you sipped from your cup--

"I was pretty scared."

He snapped up, taken out of his focus--"What?"

"Of my ex. I thought he was gonna hit me."

Kaiba's eyes narrowed. "Had he ever before?"

"No, he never did," you assured him. "There were times when I thought he was going to, honestly--when he was drunk and angry, but. I'm glad Roland came out today when he did, regardless."

"Well, you won't have to worry about him from now on."

"Thank you," you said again. Kaiba wondered when he was going to tire of hearing that phrase, but it wouldn't be tonight. You sat together in silence for another ten, maybe fifteen minutes, just staring at the rain against the windows, watching the moon glow. Kaiba thought about the stain that your tea could leave on the carpet if he'd knocked it over and pulled you onto the chaise, about how nice your robe and nightgown would look tossed onto the glass table. He thought of your damp hair hanging in his face, your lips wrapped around his finger as you sucked on it, your panties slick against his throbbing hard-on as you ground your hips into his--

"I guess I'm gonna try to sleep," your voice jolted him as he nearly spilled his tea all over himself. "I'll see you tomorrow, maybe?"

"I'll be busy," Kaiba barked, straightening up. "So don't count on it."

"Oh. Okay." You sounded disappointed. "Well, um. I hope you sleep well, Mr. Kaiba--"

"Let the maids know if you need anything," he offered, meeting your eyes for a second. 

"Okay," you nodded, starting to tie the end of your hair with your ribbon--"Goodnight, Mr. Kaiba."

His eyes followed your fingers as they made a little bow. "Goodnight."

Your robe flew behind you as you ascended the staircase and Kaiba trained his eyes on your shadow, hoping to any higher power that was listening that you wouldn't be staying in his manor for very long.


	5. Chapter 5

Sleep would not come easily to Seto Kaiba for the following two weeks. Every night that he knew you were sleeping but a few hallways past, he laid awake for several hours after retiring to bed, plagued by his own overactive imagination.

You'd been pleasant enough as a housemate so far; hardly present beyond the laughs you shared with Mokuba at dinner and the occasional run-in in the lounge. Your conversations were casual and short-cut, him usually being the one to find a reason to retreat first, but you never pressed him for any words more than necessary. Some days you were even hard to find in the walls of the vast manor; he couldn't tell if you'd been making yourself scarce on purpose or if being aloof was just part of your natural way. Despite your insistence on being comfortable there, he could sense your insecurity--due in part to the fact that you hadn't figured out a more permanent situation yet, but also surely because you had become aware of the surfacing tension between the two of you. _Surely_.

The too-long stares across the dinner table. Mokuba's knowing chuckles of amusement at his desk. The coquettish lilt in your voice when you said good morning or asked if he'd like another coffee. You'd recently traded your hair ribbon for a fresh dye job and your ballet flats for pumps. You'd been getting ahead of the game in your work and when he pointed it out, you said it was just to help distract yourself from the breakup--but you'd said it with such a kittenish smile that he knew it couldn't be the whole reason. You were starting to carry yourself with an air of confidence not unlike his own and it was exasperating in more ways than just the obvious. 

Kaiba arose in the dark of his bedroom, slipping into his robe and slinking out to the lounge. He considered indulging himself for a change, the firmness of his growing erection demanding attention, but it had already been so long since he last resorted to something as juvenile as masturbation that he was too proud to give in. He chose to walk it off instead, embracing the cool gust of air through the windows as he sat on the sill, emptying his mind of lecherous thoughts and losing himself in the sight of the moonlight. 

The twinkling of the fairy lights in the courtyard caught his eye, casting shadows of the White Dragon statues across the trees and the gazebo. They flickered and wavered, claws and tails entwining and dancing about each other, their sculpted blue eyes reflecting the glow of the gathering fireflies.

"How pretty."

A sharp breath nearly knocked Kaiba out the window. "What the _hell_ do you think you're doing?"

"I'm sorry!" You jumped back, half-laughing despite your boss glaring daggers back at you. "I really didn't think I'd scare you--"

"What else would you expect, sneaking up on me like that?" he spat in defense. He towered over you, the weight of his stare shrinking your figure in the dark. "What are you doing awake at this hour?"

"I had a bad dream and couldn't sleep," you explained, shrugging with a shy smile. "I saw the Blue Eyes statues from my window and wanted a closer look, so I came down here--I'm sorry. I really thought you'd be up in your office or something."

The gentlemanly thing to do would have been to ask if you were alright, but Seto Kaiba was not a gentleman. So he breathed as evenly as he could manage, ignoring the rush of blood to his ears and turning his head back to the window, willing that you'd disappear, but you didn't.

"I really like them," you started awkwardly, twirling a strand of hair about your finger idly. "The dragons, I mean."

Kaiba's brow twitched. "Really."

"Yeah," you offered, striding up next to him. (Your arms were almost touching, but not quite). "They remind me of watch dogs, almost. Like guardians. They're comforting to look at."

He turned a curious eye toward you. "I've never heard anyone describe them that way."

"I mean, if they're not supposed to be, that's cool too--"

"I didn't say you were wrong," he said heavily, staring down at the very little space between your chest and his. You took notice of the close proximity as well and swallowed, a visible fluttering at the base of your throat catching his eye. He wondered how it would feel, your pulse at his fingertips. He swallowed too. You broke the momentary silence with a shaky breath.

"Well--if they are, then. I think that's really sweet."

"Sweet. Sure. Whatever." He almost couldn't hear himself, his voice dropped so low. Your doe eyes brightened with a small smile.

"You know, Boss--" you started, and he found himself edging slightly closer to you, his hips dangerously close to yours--

"Yes?"

Whatever thought you'd wanted to voice never made it to your mouth. You were close enough now that he could have counted your every eyelash, every speckle of color in your irises. Your breaths were coming in shorter, lips parted in anticipation of speech or of something that had very little to do with words at all. Pink and inviting. Kaiba felt his mouth pressing into a thin line of frustration, pulse pounding as familiar heat licked at his core. You were alone. No one would see. And he could read it in your eyes that you wanted it, wanted to envelope your mouth in his own, taste his tongue along your teeth. A whirlwind of libidinous thoughts swam through his head, dizzying it as he reached for your face, hesitant. He could tell this would be a mistake before his palm met your chin. 

Gently, with feathery grace, his thumb ran along the curve of your bottom lip. And you sighed, your eyes slipping closed. You were melting into his touch. Your hand found his, dragged it along the column of your neck and his heart leapt--

"Ahem." He jerked away, startling you out of your stupor. Your eyes had glassed over, ears turning red.

"S-Sorry, I was--"

"You should get some sleep." His voice was dark, husky. Blue eyes alight with _want_. He turned away, making for the staircase, leaving you dumbfounded in the quiet of the twilight. 

*

The door to his office swung open with a deafening _wham_ , but Kaiba barely shifted in his chair. The younger brother carried sunshine into the CEO's dim quarters in the form of a shit-eating grin, two pastel pink envelopes wrinkling in his clutch. 

"Hey Seto!"

"A warning would be nice." 

"What, not like I'm gonna catch you in the act in here or something."

"You sound so sure of that," Kaiba droned, half-smirking.

"Oh I _am_ sure, because if you were actually fucking anybody you'd be in a better mood."

He sneered, tossing his stress ball at Mokuba's head. "Ow!"

"What did you come up here for, besides acting like a pain in my ass?"

"Roland wanted us to have these," he started, handing his brother one of the letters. Kaiba snorted.

"He's using Kaiba Manor as a venue and forgot that he still had to formally invite us. How cute."

"June 11th is The Big Day," Mokuba beamed. "Isn't it awesome, Seto? I love weddings!"

"Mokuba, you've never _been_ to one," he droned, tossing the invitation onto a pile of folders.

"So? It's still exciting!"

"Hmph. More like stressful."

"You're just saying that because it's being held at our place."

"You'd agree if you saw the planning that goes into these things, it's fucking absurd."

"Could you _be_ any more bitter?" the dark-haired boy teased, hopping into a perch on top of his desk. Kaiba cast him a dark look but he didn't budge. "Come on, you can't tell me you're not looking forward to it."

"I didn't say I wasn't," he clapped back. "You know better than anyone that I'm happy for him."

"But you're not happy about it happening so close to the opening, are you," Mokuba finished his thought. He sighed, resigned. 

"Roland being on a honeymoon only makes the park opening exponentially more difficult on my end, but what else was I going to do, tell him not to get married?"

Mokuba kicked off the desk and laughed. "I feel like the Seto of a few years back would have done just that."

"So I've gone through some character development, incredible." 

"You sure have, Big Brother," Mokuba grinned. "I'll let you get back to work."

His brother left him to his computer and to the torn-open envelope, the gold lettering of his name shining in corner of his eye. How strange, to be invited to something as normal as a wedding, even if it was his bodyguard's. After the things he'd done and the kind of life he'd lived, it was odd to think of himself as someone who could be involved in something so--average. He'd spent his life so caught up in climbing to the top of the food chain that he'd forgotten that things like marriage were goals for some people. His eyes trailed over the calligraphy over and over, he thought of Roland and how happy he must be, realizing he'd met his fiancée twice, maybe three times. Marriage made sense for a guy like Roland--for someone like Mokuba, even. He imagined one day holding the invitation to his brother's wedding in his hands and felt a crippling melancholy wash over him as he realized--marriage didn't make sense for somebody like Seto Kaiba. 

He folded the letter and stuck it in a drawer and tried not to think about it. He had sixty five days until something more important would happen.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (hi hello i've been on vacation but here is an update, i hope you're having as much fun as i am with this hehehee)

Kaiba hadn't heard a word from you that entire day after your little run-in the night before. In addition to Roland's wedding invitations, Mokuba had been the one to drop off coffee and the projects for the day, not you. He almost wondered if you hadn't shown up today, but while he packed up his briefcase in the ready to leave for the evening, you'd knocked softly in his open doorway.

"Hey."

"Oh, it's you," he said plainly, ignoring the jump of his heart. He clenched his jaw. "I thought you didn't come in today."

"No, I've been here," you said sheepishly. 

"Then why was Mokuba running back and forth all day?" he snapped, looking anywhere but at you.

"Listen, I--" you hesitated, eyes shyly darting around the office, "I felt really strange about last night, and I--I wanted to say I'm sorry."

"Nothing happened," he said. He wasn't lying. Not really. Something _almost_ happened, but he'd caught himself. "You don't need to be sorry for something that clearly wasn't an issue."

"I still put you in a weird position, and that _is_ an issue," you admitted. "It must have been really awkward for you, me being your assistant, and me being in your house--"

"I told you it wasn't a problem," Kaiba said darkly, scowling. "If you're going to apologize for anything, it should be about making my brother run all over creation when that's _your_ job, not his."

"I know, I talked to him," you assured him and he scoffed.

"Good. Now if we're done here, I need to lock up."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Kaiba, but there's one more thing," you started, apprehensive. His shoulders tightened as he turned around.

"What now?"

"I wanted to let you know, I found a new apartment," you half-smiled, voice heightened in pitch. "I'm moving in with a friend of mine on the first, so. I'll be out of your hair soon." 

The air left his lungs and a spot on the floor near your feet suddenly become a point of interest. Oh. 

You giggled lightly and the strings around Kaiba's heart pulled it back up to his chest from its crash landing to the floor. He wet his mouth, straightening his back as he offered a smirk. "Congratulations. I'll have a moving truck arranged for you then."

Your eyebrows flew up. "Wh--oh, you don't have to do that, that's really--"

"It's not a big deal," he insisted, his chest heaving as his lips turned downward again. "Now if we're through, we should leave. I don't like being here past five on a Friday."

*

With less than a month before the wedding, the atmosphere surrounding Kaiba Manor thinned out about as much as the patience of the CEO himself. Roland had been made fully aware of his boss's bitterness toward his seemingly pestiferous timing and thusly was making himself as scarce as could be, leaving you to wait on him hand and foot and take on as much of the organization as possible when it came to actually preparing the estate for the ceremony. Between hissy cat fights with Roland's fiancée about the placement of the fountains and the overturning of an entire lengthy menu due to the bride-to-be's fish allergy, Kaiba was all but ready to call Barbara and conveniently reschedule their next meeting for the week of the wedding, but someone had miraculously managed to calm him, and to his surprise, it wasn't Mokuba.

Your footsteps echoed throughout the now emptied foyer, aggravating his already-ringing ears--"What is it now?"

He sent his coat twirling as he whipped around to find you holding a tall glass of something honey-green with an orange garnish. "I thought you could use something iced and alcoholic after that."

"You're too kind," he spat, taking a reluctant sip. "What is this?"

"San Pelligrino with honey, lime, green tea, and two shots."

"Of vodka?"

"Of whatever it was in the bottle Mokuba handed me in the kitchen."

"Maybe it's poison."

"That's only if you're lucky," you scrunched your nose at him and he almost felt better. 

"After that spat, I could only hope so."

"I only heard some of it," you started, apologetically, "was it really that bad?"

"This woman's fucking insufferable."

"I'm sorry," you cooed, tilting your head to watch him drink and he groaned. "I just emailed her a couple suggestions for a new menu, and I got the landscaping guys to have a blueprint of the new setup sent to her by eight tonight so she can approve it and they'll have it fixed tomorrow, so."

Kaiba cocked an eyebrow at you. "Already?"

You nodded, shrugging. "I just wanna make her happier faster."

He snorted, the hem of his coat brushing your legs as he strode away to take a seat on the window sill. "You know exactly how to appease people, don't you?"

He couldn't see your knowing smirk behind him. "I work for you, don't I?"

Kaiba scoffed, his back stiffening as he took another long sip of his drink. He didn't know why you hadn't run off to go do something else yet but he didn't feel annoyed at your lingering presence--it was when your hands were suddenly on his shoulders that he felt his stomach lurch like he'd been punched in the gut.

"You're gonna have a heart attack at thirty if you don't do more to keep your stress levels down," you told him gently. You sounded concerned, not cheeky. Your fingers dug into the knots in the back of his shoulders and he felt his blood running hot. Kaiba clutched his glass, thankful that you couldn't watch his face reddening. 

"It's been over a week since I scheduled you with Vicky, I'm so sorry," you murmured. Your hands were smaller than the masseuse's, and not as strong or practiced, but it felt _good_ , so good, your warmth searing him through the fabric of his turtleneck and jacket--

"You don't--have to apologize," Kaiba told you, his voice growing hoarse. Your fingers kneaded deeper into his muscles and he resisted a moan. "I have more important things to do than vegetate at a spa-a- _aaaah_ \--"

You were either much bolder than he'd imagined, or just composed and concerned enough that you peeled his coat down to his elbows to get a better feel. A chill ran through him first as the heavy leather was removed, but the fire under his skin returned when your hands resumed their work. "That's much better, isn't it?"

Kaiba said nothing, just swallowed the rest of his drink, allowing himself to lean back into your touch and taking note of your rapid breathing. His heart felt like it were beating faster and slower at the same time, confused; this was both relaxing and arousing and something in the back of his mind wanted him to tell you to stop, stop before he started enjoying this too much--

"Hey! Roland wanted me to--oh--"

Mokuba's voice rang through the emptied foyer and both you and Kaiba had launched yourselves twenty feet in opposite directions, the glass he'd been limply holding now a shattered mess on the floor. You stared in alarm up at your boss, who shrugged his coat back up and snapped his eyes at his brother. 

"What is it now?"

Eyebrows disappearing into his fringe, Mokuba fumbled on his words, an uncomfortable grin spread across his face as he shook his head. "It's nothing--I mean--I can just tell you later, you look kinda _busy_ \--"

Kaiba's ears flushed crimson at his brother's giggles. "If it can wait til later, why'd you come parading through the hall so _urgently_ \--"

"I"m sorry!" Mokuba struggled to keep himself composed, barely making an effort to hide his amusement as he watched you cower under his knowing eyes. "I really didn't think you guys would be hanging out in this--empty foyer-- _alone_ \--"

"Get the maids in here to clean up and then call Roland," he suddenly spat at you, making you flinch. "I want my limo ready at seven."

"S-Sure thing," you muttered, pulling out your phone. He tossed Mokuba a glance you couldn't read and then strode past you.

"Make sure _you're_ ready then too. The three of us are going to dinner."


	7. Chapter 7

You thought your boss would arrange for you to ride in one of the extra cars, but the limousine had actually been for Mokuba and yourself. Kaiba was the one to ride alone instead, ahead of you and his brother, meeting you at a quiet (yet extravagant) little restaurant about thirty minutes north. Mokuba laughed and joked with you for the duration of the drive, but had his phone in his hand the whole time, fingers tapping away as you'd been made to wonder if he was popular or if he was just scheming something with his brother--the latter seemed much more likely. Kaiba's white Maserati was nowhere to be seen when you pulled up and truthfully, the place looked closed; every curtain was pulled and the parking lot was empty, but Mokuba guided you by the arm up the steps and two handsome servers welcomed you inside.

Kaiba wasn't there to greet you at the entrance. Instead, you and Mokuba were led up a spiral staircase to a closeted dining room, where he'd been waiting, seated at a triangular table made of glass. The dim lamplight cast shadows on the left plane of his face. He nodded to the waitress as she brought up a pitcher of red wine.

"I've already ordered for us," he told you, watching you search the table for a menu. 

"Oh--" Mokuba drew out your seat and you thanked him as you settled in.

"We come here when we're stressed," he explained and you snorted. 

"They must see you pretty often."

Mokuba laughed--his brother didn't. With a groan, Kaiba poured you a glass from the pitcher. 

"You're not funny."

"Oh, she is," Mokuba teased, making sure his brother watched as he squeezed your thigh under the table. Kaiba shot him a look that could have incinerated anyone else and you straightened up in your chair, folding your hands in your lap in embarrassment.

The food arrived after a few awkward minutes of catch-up; Kaiba stayed mostly quiet as you and Mokuba discussed his online courses and how much he hated his tutor. After Kaiba told you to make a mental note for later and hire a new one for him, conversation shifted to Roland and the wedding for a while, then to the Kaiba Land opening, and then somehow finally to silly head games that you played when you were younger.

"Have you ever played 'Two Truths and A Lie'?" Mokuba asked as the waitress took away your empty dinner plates.

"Back when I was in high school, yeah, of course," you answered. 

The boy leaned in closer to you. "Let's play it then--but backwards." 

You smacked your lips after a sip of wine. "How do you play it _backwards_?"

"I'll come up with facts about you, and you get to tell us what's the truth and what's not." 

"What if you say three lies? Or three truths?"

"That's the fun part!"

"I don't know Mokuba--"

"Humor me," he challenged you. Kaiba leaned his elbows onto the table, silently watching you toy with the pendant around your neck. Fascinated by your growing unease. You took a breath.

"Alright, how about this: if you guess three lies, it's game over. But if you guess three truths, you win, so start thinking about what you want if you do."

"Deal!"

You leaned back in your seat, Kaiba did not. "Okay--go ahead."

"Okay, uhh--" Mokuba stared up at the ceiling, thinking. "You're older than twenty-one, you don't have any food allergies, and your parents live in New York--"

"Nope," you cut him off, smiling. "I'm allergic to nuts and my parents are dead. I _am_ older, though--I'm twenty-three. Come on Mokuba, that's easy mode."

The younger Kaiba looked crestfallen. "Oh--oh no, I'm sorry--"

"Oh, no don't worry about it!" you perked up, shaking your head. "It was a very long time ago--I'm alright. Keep going." 

"Um--your favorite color is pink, you're a dog person, and...your favorite Duel Monsters card is Swords of Revealing Light--"

"Nope," you started to laugh, shoulders falling as you relaxed. "It's blue, and I'm a cat person. You guessed my favorite card though. This is kinda fun--"

"See, I knew you'd like it." Mokuba poured himself some water and smiled at his brother, who remained unmoved. "Let's see...You don't like whiskey, you're a size eight in shoes, and...your favorite mythical creature is--mermaids?"

"True, true, lie. I like dragons."

Kaiba took a slow sip of his wine.

"Oh," Mokuba grinned. "How 'bout that."

You played with your necklace again. "Go on."

"You're partial to blue eyes. You like younger guys." Something impish flashed in his eyes. "You have a crush on someone."

Kaiba finished off his glass and folded his hands under his chin, watching you shrink under his eye. Your shoulders tightened as you grinned helplessly, tapping your nails at the neck of your glass.

"Mokuba, I don't--"

"Don't be a wuss."

"Okay, true, false..." You stared into your drink, your boss quietly taking great delight in how flushed your face had become. His little game was going so well. "True."

Mokuba was so good at pretending to be intrigued. "Oh, so you like older guys."

"Yeah--not like ten years older, but." You swished the wine around, winking at him. "Sorry Mokuba."

"I didn't think I had a chance anyway," he teased. The waitress returned and Kaiba talked quietly in her ear before she took away the empty pitchers of wine and water. You fiddled with your skirt and Mokuba leaned back with his hands behind his head.

"Alright, so--hmm. You like champagne." You nodded, giggling.

"You like cherry cheesecake." You nodded again.

"And--you like my brother."

Kaiba didn't move. He watched your smile falter for a moment, a twitch of panic as your gaze dropped, face even redder. The three of you were silent for about a hundred of his heartbeats. You breathed out anxious giggles, pushing your hair behind your ear only to have it unfurl across your cheek again. You crossed your ankles and Mokuba bit at his nails and Kaiba took evenly measured breaths before you finally croaked through the quiet--

"Well then. I guess you win, Mokuba."

The brothers shared a chuckle, chairs creaking as they shifted around. "How amusing." Kaiba smirked, familiar heat pooling in the center of his chest.

Mokuba pinched at your thigh. "So what do I get?"

"What, nothing crazy right, like my paycheck or something--"

"Silly girl, I wouldn't ask for that, I don't need it," he nudged you and you giggled in relief. "How about giving my brother a kiss?"

Your face went from apple red to snow white. You looked bewildered at your boss, who stayed stoic. Like he'd heard Mokuba suggest a tiramisu dessert instead. "W...what?"

"Right now. Right here. Kiss him."

"You look astonishingly calm about this," you squeaked but Kaiba just shrugged, stony-faced and looking anywhere but at you.

"We're in a private room. It's not like anyone would see."

You clutched at your necklace again, swallowing. "You're okay with this?" 

Kaiba's eyes flashed fiendishly as he finally looked at you, a slight tilt to his head. "Are you scared?"

"I mean I--"

"I won't make you, but I did win," Mokuba sighed. "It's not like it's a big deal."

"Okay, well--"

Then you did something neither brother expected. You took Kaiba's wrist gingerly in your hands, smoothing your fingers over the edge of his watch, ghosting over his pulse-point. He furrowed his brow as you drew his hand close to your face. You turned over his palm and ran your thumb over his knuckles before gently, sweetly pressing your lips to them, giving his hand two gracious kisses not unlike a noble respecting their lord. Kaiba's heart thumped like mad, strands of your hair brushing his wrist as you slowly lifted your head to flash him an innocent smile. Mokuba coughed.

"That's--not what I had in mind, but uh--"

"Hey, you didn't say where."

Kaiba smirked to himself, his chest swelling as he exchanged impressed glances with his brother. You'd just passed a test you had no idea you were taking.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whoa hey hi we're still in this y'all

"So," you breathed, a little less ill at ease, "do I get a turn now?"

"Oh, _you_ wanna guess?" Mokuba asked and Kaiba grunted. You nodded vigorously, grinning.

"Please? I can guess about both of you, if it's too much pressure--"

"Ha, too much pressure for who?" Kaiba tested you.

"Oh, so you wouldn't mind me guessing about just _you_?"

"You'd lose, _quickly_ ," he said darkly. But you smiled, defiant.

"Fine, then I'll guess about both of you--although I'd argue that it's harder like that, you guys aren't very much alike--"

"You think so?" he challenged you. 

"Yeah, I do." You sounded more confident than you had any right to be, but he truthfully enjoyed it; your failure would be all the more pleasing this way. Besides, Mokuba seemed excited, and the least he could do was indulge his brother. So he exhaled deeply and told you to start. 

"What do I get if I win?" you hummed, leaning over the table.

"You're not going to." 

"You sound so sure of that," you said airily.

He pursed his lips. "You pick--just make sure it's nothing ridiculous."

Your voice melted into something saccharine as you cocked a smug eyebrow. "How about dinner with just _you_ sometime, Mr. Kaiba?" 

A skip in his heartbeat made him cough uncomfortably. You'd clearly had this idea in your head already and it made him almost uneasy-- "I said nothing _ridiculous_ \--"

"Uh, Mokuba asked me to kiss you, so," you defended yourself, serious for a moment. "Plus, you sound so sure that I'll lose anyway, so what does it matter?" 

Mokuba's eyebrows vanished into his fringe--he looked caught somewhere between impressed and anxious and Kaiba couldn't allow himself to feel the same. He groaned, cracking his knuckles before giving you a smug smile. You were going to lose, he had to be absolutely positive. 

"Fine, then. Let's begin."

"Remember, though," Mokuba said, "the three statements have to be true for both of us."

"Got it," you assured him, and started thinking. "Okay, uhh--neither of you play sports, you've never had any pets--and blue is your favorite color."

"Red is mine," Mokuba told you and you hissed. 

"Dammit--"

"The first two were true, though," he complimented you.

"Lucky guesses," Kaiba said, bored already--he'd predicted you'd tread on safer subject matters, but if your next batch was going to be this abysmally dull, he'd rather mentally check out. He rolled his eyes at his brother but Mokuba seemed engaged. 

"Alright, um--" You paused, picking at your fingers. "Both of you were popular in public school, both of you can fly the jet, and...both of you like ice cream?"

"Wrong. Mokuba can't fly."

"Seto won't let me," he whined, pouting.

"It's dangerous," he spat back, folding his arms. "You're only seventeen--"

"YOU were seventeen when you BOUGHT the jet--"

"Okay, whoa, I didn't mean to start something here--"

"It's fine!" they snapped, together, and you giggled lightly. Something in your eyes shined softly and Kaiba opted to avoid it.

"Are you gonna keep going, or what?" he grunted, and you straightened up.

"S-Sorry, aha, um--"

"If you're having trouble coming up with stuff, I can give you categories," Mokuba offered, grinning waggishly. Kaiba shot him a warning look, an encourage-her-flirtatious-tendencies-and-I-will-end-you look, but his brother ignored it. "How about uhhh...relationships? Friends?"

"You guys have friends?" you joked, and Mokuba started howling. Kaiba glared a thousand knives into him; he'd just opened a window that you shouldn't be even _glancing_ out of, but--

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," you wheezed an apology. "I had to pick on you just a little, Boss."

"Get on with your game," he barked, and you fidgeted around.

"Right, sorry--well, in that vein, um--well, I bet a lot of girls liked you guys in public school--but I bet you turned all of them down, because you both are just so busy and focused on other things. And--I think you guys both consider each other your best friend."

Scoffing, Kaiba couldn't hide his half-smirk as he glanced sideways at his brother. Mokuba's eyes brightened when they met his. Yes, he supposed he could give you that one--his brother, the only person he'd ever thought of as a friend, period, for most of his life--but Kaiba didn't like the term "best friend." It was juvenile and shallow and fleeting--that, and it didn't seem to give a relationship like theirs the justice it deserved. Mokuba had traversed several circles of Hell itself with him, and there was no term for that. But you had no idea how strong their bond had always been, not really, so he could let you think you'd won that one.

"Seto's more than just a best friend," Mokuba started, eyes fixed on him like he was reading his mind, "he's my brother. But you've got the right idea, so you're still in the game!"

"What, the first two were wrong?" you sounded so surprised, but the brothers nodded.

"Girls didn't really pay attention to me," Mokuba said bittersweetly. "Well, _nobody_ really did when I was younger, I was just Seto's little brother--until we met our friends."

A small snort from the CEO and you made an affectionate coo. "Aw, do you mean Yugi Mutou and the others?"

Kaiba's ring finger was between his teeth. Mokuba had looked to him for permission, it seemed like, but he stayed silent, half-listening as he answered you, "Yeah! We had some really great times together--Yugi changed our lives, didn't he, Seto?"

"Yugi changed a lot of things, Mokuba," he said cryptically, ignoring the furrow of your brow. His brother nodded, satisfied with a smile but you seemed intrigued, he'd already recognized the curious look on your face and it was slightly troubling--

"He's really wonderful," you said, more to Mokuba now that you noticed he wasn't going to engage you much further. "Not just as a duelist, but a friend."

"You're friends with him too?" the boy asked, and you nodded with a grin.

"Yeah!"

"Oh! We knew you knew him, but I didn't know you guys were close?"

"Yeah, he's the one I'm moving in with next week," you chirped, grinning spritely and Kaiba felt a lurch in his gut that nearly threw him from his chair.

"You're _what_?"

His voice jolted through you, startling the smile off your face-- "I'm--yeah? Grandpa's getting frail and Yugi could use the help with him while he runs the shop, so I'm--"

"How _kind_ of you," he sneered, a sting pinching the ends of his every nerve in an all-too familiar fashion. He cleared his throat and rose up from his seat, slipping a hand in the breast of his blazer and pulling out his card. He slid it across the table to Mokuba, who started to rise from his seat, alarmed.

"Hey, what--"

"I remembered something I have to take care of," he excused himself, pointedly not looking at you.

"Is everything alright?" you asked anxiously, but he waved you off.

"It's fine. You both enjoy dessert, don't worry about it."

"Was it something I--"

"It's nothing that concerns you," he spat, fists clenched at his sides. "Just relax and eat. I'll see both of you at home."

"Seto--"

" _Don't_ , Mokuba," he warned him, and left for the Maserati in a huff, cursing himself. His lungs felt restricted, filled to the brim with cement and breathing was too hard, skin pulled too taunt around his face. He had to force himself to fasten his seatbelt when he settled into the driver's seat. He glanced at his reflection in the rearview and wondered how long his eyes had been red. He drove, not even getting as far as the first stoplight before Mokuba sent him a text.

_hey, what's with the dramatic exit??_

He didn't answer right away. He hooked up his phone to the car's customized messaging screen and activated its talk-to-text mode.

"It's nothing."

_we were having fun and now she thinks she did something wrong :(_

Kaiba rolled his eyes, gripping the steering wheel tighter--"Take care of it, please."

_weren't you having a good time?_

He sighed. Making an odd left turn, Kaiba opted for a longer route back to the manor, the honks of horns and other buzzes of late-night Domino City hushing as he drove through back roads. He listened to crickets and birds, hoping his brother would just leave it, leave it alone--but of course he didn't. 

_she really likes you seto!!_

Cement lungs started to sink now. "I know."

_so?? what are you gonna do about it?_

"Nothing."

_why!!!_

"It worries me."

_what does?? the publicity? cuz we can find a way to keep it a secret--_

"That's not it, Mokuba," he snapped. Holding onto the steering wheel now like his anchor to the earth. "The tabloids are last on my list of concerns."

_then idgi, what's going on with you?_

He wanted to close his eyes--he thought of it, for a moment, then thought of pulling over. The car hummed to quiet as he put it in park at the edge of an empty street, the telephone wires towering amongst the cloudy evening sky overhead. He dragged a hand down his face, eyes burning behind the lids. What was the matter with him? The dramatic exit, the clench around his heart--God, when was the last time Seto Kaiba cried?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i like to think after dsod kaiba opened up a bit more to yugi and co. but friendship and bonds with people outside of mokuba are especially difficult for him--probably gonna explore a lot of that in the future but don't worry the sex is still coming soon i won't cuck you guys much longer, promise
> 
> anyway my man needs a therapist


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm sorry this is so delayed but i'm almost done watching gx and now i'm drowning in the unfinished porn i've written for it and yeah. i'm also rewriting a lot of what i had planned for this one because i wasn't satisfied and i want this to be GOOD and i can't even let myself just have mindless porn god i'm so complicated lol

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Kaiba looked at him straight on for the first time since they last dueled. He grimaced, a barbed wire twisting itself tight around his heart chambers as he watched the corners of his violet eyes soften--he was looking more and more like him as time passed, and it was painful to observe.

"I don't know."

"Kaiba..." 

His voice was dusky, the dulcet tones resonating deep in his rib cage and Kaiba feels his throat go dry--he'd even started to sound like him too.

"I should have told you." It was the closest thing to an apology as he would to give, Yugi had known him well enough to know that. The younger man clutched his shirtfront as his brows knitted together. 

"When you saw him, did he--" he choked on his sentence. Kaiba tried to swallow the knot in his throat with his coffee and failed. "--did he mention me at all?"

_When you return, please, please tell Yugi how much I miss him--to look for the light, and he will always find me. My love follows him everywhere._

It's a wonder the mug didn't crack with how tightly he gripped it. He squeezed his eyes shut, wished he could forget the glow in the pharaoh's eyes as he bid him his last goodbye, a goodbye that wasn't even meant for him--

"He misses you, and he loves you."

Kaiba left him crying quietly in a corner booth half-past one in the morning. Try as he might, he can't forget Yugi Mutou's pitiful coughs or the echo of his boots on the tile as he practically ran, ran away from the only thing he couldn't face. Kaiba hadn't seen him since. 

He rolled over in bed, figuring you and Mokuba had returned by now. 1:17AM blared in blue lights on his night stand and he reached for his phone--no new messages, but one missed call from Mokuba barely a half hour before. He swiped across the screen and hovered over the messaging application. His fingers moved faster than his reasoning. 

_Are you asleep._

You replied within moments. He didn't know whether to pity you or to feel endeared. 

_oh you're awake? haha no i'm in bed but i'm still up. are you alright boss?_

Of course you would ask that. So concerned.

_I shouldn't have left dinner like that. It must have been upsetting for you._

_oh no i was just worried about you! really it's okay_

_You're not upset?_ He's not surprised that you aren't at all, but fuck if it didn't make this all the more complicated.

_not at all, it's okay! i'm sorry if i was making things awkward, i really hope you weren't uncomfortable about that kiss_

The kiss was the last thing he wanted to think about, talk about--not tonight, not in this mood. Not that it was unpleasant at all (not in the very least), but--

_I'm the one who should be apologizing._

_you're so sweet, boss :)_

He sighs. _I'm not. I should thank you for being so patient. I know I'm not exactly the easiest person to deal with._

_you're my boss, you're not supposed to be easy to handle ;)_

His heart rises to his throat and he promptly swallows it.

 _You're getting cheeky, you need to go to bed._

_aw, just when i was having fun_

_Behave yourself, or you won't like the punishment_ , he teases back. "Fun" was not something he needed to be thinking about, but he enjoyed egging you on subtly anyway.

_okay okay. i'll be a good dog._

Colors explode behind his eyes as he furiously types back, _Okay playtime's over, go to SLEEP._

_sorry sorry! one more thing though, yugi said he hopes you're doing okay, and he'd love to get together soon. i don't think you'll have much time before the wedding but if you don't mind stopping by on my move-in day, i think he'd like that_

Fantastic. 

He lets several minutes pass before sending a reply, debating on how bad this idea actually was--he hadn't spoken to Yugi since that night, almost years ago. The fact that he still wanted to see and talk to him was unsurprising and infuriating--no matter how terribly he treated him, Yugi never let him go. One of the few things they actually had in common, to his chagrin. 

It was the wrong time, he was in the wrong mental state, but perhaps that's exactly what made a small part of him want it--actual closure. He hoped you hadn't fallen asleep by the time he finally messaged you back.

_I might be able to make an appearance._

_great! i'll let him know! goodnight boss :)_

_Goodnight._


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i know nothing about playing piano i'm so sorry if you're a musician and parts of this chapter are odd to read fslrhaw;lf

Three weeks until the wedding and one day before you would be moving out, Kaiba sat idly in his home office, staring at a blank draft for an email he was now positive that he wasn't going to send. After leaving him in tears in a coffee shop and then not speaking to him for over a year, he couldn't very well just show up at Yugi Mutou's house to help his secretary move in without some kind of formal warning. Perhaps the Seto Kaiba of ten years ago could have. It wasn't like he wasn't used to it; he was sure even the Yugi of today would already expect him to waltz through his door and greet him coolly like nothing had ever happened, but he wouldn't allow himself that behavior anymore. He liked to think he'd grown past it--he didn't want to be a man who let his past control him.

Still, he sighed, massaging his temples with his elbows on the desk. This was becoming more and more of a bad idea the longer he pored over what he could possibly say--what he could even _let_ himself say. _How_ to say any of it. He groaned and started considering making up some sort of last-second excuse not to come, but no--he had to stop running. He wasn't seventeen anymore; Yugi was no longer his rival and Atem was dead. There was no reason to be envious of anything now, he told himself, bitterly remembering the softness in the pharaoh's smile. The past needed to stay buried, along with whatever feelings untold with it. They didn't matter now. Surely Yugi would understand as much. He folded his laptop shut, heaving a sigh as he noticed a flicker of--something, on his surveillance cameras over the desk. 

Turning a knob, he adjusted the picture on the leftmost screen--the view of the lounge. Blue curtains billowed with the summery breeze, skirting over the piano. He furrowed his brow upon seeing someone seated on the ivory bench, gently fiddling around with the keys. Kaiba switched off the monitors and slid into his house shoes and trailed down a spiral staircase to find out who could possibly be playing what at this hour. Faint chords of the piece echoed from the floor below, but he couldn't figure out what it was yet, not until he reached the archway and he came to a sudden halt--

A tenuous tune, delicate and humble, almost lachrymose in the way that it flowed. Something he hadn't listened to since he was likely ten years old. It swam through his head, a distressing wave of nostalgia crashed at him, washing up very old, yet fond memories. Even in an octave higher than what he was used to playing himself, he could still remember--he knew this song so well. 

Kaiba made no effort to avoid disturbing you as you played. Interestingly for him, you hadn't seemed to register his presence behind you at all, not until he slid beside you on the bench, and watched your slender hands laze over the keys. He listened to the too-familiar chords, watching your hair graze the keys as your head bent low. You were nearing the end of the song, and he was nearing closer to you. He waited, waited until the last "chorus," as he could call it, and found his hands playing on keys an octave lower than yours. You smiled so faintly. 

"'Comme Au Premier Jour'."

"It's one of my favorites."

"I didn't know you could play."

"I didn't know you could either, but I can't say I'm surprised," you needled him but he remained stony. 

"It was one of many things my stepfather forced me to learn," he started coldly, but added gently, "but one of the few I actually enjoyed."

"Did Mokuba learn too?"

"He would rather listen to me play," Kaiba admitted, twitching into a smile. "I played a lot for him when we were kids."

"Yugi taught me how to play, back when we were children," you said wistfully. 

"You've known him that long, have you?" Kaiba realized, intrigued. 

"We grew up together, kinda," you explained, playing a pleasant chord once or twice. "My mother used to take care of him after school--his grandfather was doing a lot more back then and needed someone to watch him. He was like the brother I never had."

Kaiba played the same chord, in a lower key, eyeing you curiously. "How had I never met you before hiring you? Yugi kept his friends ridiculously close."

"I guess, when Yugi started dueling, we didn't see each other much," you said, sadly. "Yugi was a really troubled child--solving that puzzle really made him come out of his shell. He was making friends and having a good time--I didn't play the games, so we kind of drifted apart. I didn't see much of him once he went off to Duelist Kingdom."

Kaiba frowned. "That must have been hard."

"I missed him, but I was happy for him," you smiled softly, now playing a chord from "Claire de Lune". "We did still keep in touch, just barely. It wasn't until the pharaoh left that..."

Kaiba's hands slid off the keys, the last note ringing softly off the walls. You snapped up to look at him, a darkness looming in his far-off stare that he knew you wouldn't be able to read. Your forehead wrinkled with worry as you gingerly, hesitantly placed your hand on his. He made a startled noise, scaring you only slightly--but he didn't jerk it away. He let you touch him, in your attempt to be a comfort, and he realized it was the first time he let anyone who wasn't Mokuba hold his hand like this. It was--nice.

"He talked a lot about you," you said quietly, "Still does."

Kaiba held your gaze for an explicit moment, incredulous--"Does he?"

You nodded quickly, pushing hair from your eyes, meeting him shyly. "Mhm. He was really happy when I told him I got this job. He said he hoped you two could be finally be friends someday."

He swallowed thickly, the pulse in his wrist thrumming as you squeezed his hand. "He's too kind for his own good."

"I don't think you could ever be too kind," you disagreed with your quaint, all-too polite Secretary Smile, your own version of issuing a challenge. He met it with a haughty smirk, leaning in just a hair closer to you.

"It only allows people to take advantage of you," he told you darkly, eyes trailing down the length of your neck to the dip in your dress-front. Just the very edge of your bralette peeked over it, hinting--

"Good thing I don't let people take advantage of me," you feigned confidence, a hint of anxiety glowing in your doll-eyes--a duel of emotions and you realized you were losing. Kaiba nearly closed the space between you, gripping your hand so tightly he could count the beats of your pulse in your fingers--

"Don't you?" he played with you, he shouldn't, he shouldn't be teasing, but the glint in your eyes paired with your infuriating little attitude was so--fetching. "You don't think I take advantage of you at all?"

You took in a shaky breath, but turned your nose up at him and nearly spat, "You're my boss, I'm being _paid_ to bend over backwards for you--"

He snickered and you knew instantly that you'd triggered a trap; that was the Wrong Thing to say sidled up against Seto Kaiba in a dimly lit lounge, alone, but he was doing so well in maintaining self-control that he opted to bite his tongue rather than use it. Still, you were roseate, pulling your hand bashfully away from his and he actually felt disappointed at the loss of contact. You stared down at your lap and said something he couldn't catch.

"What?"

"I said I don't mind it," you repeated yourself, barking out the words. "Bending ov--doing a lot for you. You work so hard, and you do so much...I'm glad I can help you get a break any way that you can, Mr. Kaiba."

Such gracious words shouldn't prick his heart as much as they do, but he feels them stab him nonetheless as he tries to meet your eyes, a thank-you coating the roof of his mouth but he won't let it fall. Saying thank-you is not necessary but nor is it enough, really, not when you'd been puzzling all the distressing pieces of putting this god-forsaken wedding together on top of micro-managing his corporate life. You see the ugliest parts of Seto Kaiba: the firing of employees who probably didn't deserve it, the shouting matches with business partners, the fights that ensure the competition gets down and stays down--countless acts that would make anyone believe he's a heartless shell of a person (if they even remember that he's just a person at all), and yet, there you sat. Glad to help. You had what anyone else would consider the most exasperating job at Kaiba Corp, and you thanked him for it. He really didn't deserve you. 

He could never tell you that, though. Seto Kaiba doesn't do well with words, much less words of praise. So he shows his gratitude in the form of taking your hand, running his thumb over your wrist, and gently, softly, brushing his lips against your knuckles. You sigh the quietest sigh, mouth agape as he rises from the bench.

"You have a busy day ahead. You should get some sleep."

"W-Wait--"

Your hands clung to the back of his night-robe and tugged it halfway off his shoulder--he whirled about, chest half-exposed as he met you with a hard stare.

"What?"

Lips pursed, he saw your eyes briefly roam over the expanse of his pecs before you started stammering, "Um--I wanted to ask you before, but we've just been so preoccupied with preparations for the park, and the wedding, but it IS about the wedding, and I--um--"

"Spit it out," he told you, an impatient hand on his hip. You shook your head vigorously.

"It's--I don't want this to sound awkward, but I was hoping--erm, wondering--I mean I know we're already going, but I--"

Kaiba groaned your name irritably, wanting nothing more than to escape this potentially very emotionally charged situation--it was late and dark and you looked too desirable in your white night dress--

"I want to go with you to Roland's wedding, like, as a date," you muttered quickly, red from your cheeks to your chest. Kaiba felt his breathing stop, caught completely off-guard--he should have expected this to be the question and yet he couldn't believe that this was what you wanted to ask for. A date. A date to his bodyguard's wedding--your coworker's wedding--Roland probably knew you had wanted to ask him--you'd probably asked Mokuba for advice--you wanted to be the CEO's date to a wedding, a very public affair, with romantic implications--

"No," he blurted out without thinking. He remembered that his lungs were functional organs and used them for a heaving breath, looking anywhere but at you as the color slowly drained from your face. He regretted speaking as soon as you blinked, your eyes very obviously watery even though you breathed out a hollow giggle. It was almost apologetic. You shouldn't have gotten this answer but it was the only one he could afford to give. You knew that, surely you knew--

"I'm--I'm sorry," you half-laughed, awkwardly pushing past him to dart up the stairs. Kaiba dragged a hand down his face, lazing backward onto the piano bench and sending a chaotic mess of a chord resonating throughout the empty lounge.


	11. Chapter 11

Rain spattered heavily against the window panes of the game shop. It looked closed, with the curtains drawn and the lobby lights dimmed, but there Yugi sat by the register, flipping through a binder of old cards. Fairy-gold locks fell in his eyes as he pored over the counter and Kaiba felt a horrible knot bottle up his throat as he flung open the front door. The bell chimed and he snapped up.

"Hey, welcome to--o-oh..."

Yugi Mutou watched a wave of emotions swim across the blue in his old rival's eyes. Kaiba stared at him, unblinking, an old familiar swell of something in his chest as Yugi slowly, invitingly smiled. 

"Hey."

The voice that came out didn't seem to be his--or rather, not his as he knew it to be, not for this Yugi. It was His. Dusky, warm, fiery. Deep and commanding, fitting for someone who had been a king--Kaiba snorted to himself. As if Yugi weren't a king in his own right. Kaiba feels a smile reach his heart for the first time in a long time.

"Good to see you, Yugi."

*

The hum of the stereo system died down as Yugi carried a tray of mugs out from the kitchen. He'd locked up the shop in favor of taking Kaiba upstairs for evening coffees, much against the CEO's insistence. He took his coat and lent him some house slippers and poured him a generous cup, dumping cream and sugar into his own. Kaiba took a slow sip, half-watching him as he noted the boxes cluttering the living area.

"How is she."

Yugi's brows flew up. "Huh? Oh, um--"

"Is she here?" Kaiba scanned the room, as if he could actually expect to see you.

"Grandpa took her dress shopping," Yugi answered, smiling weakly. 

"For the wedding," Kaiba finished guiltily. Yugi frowned.

"Yeah, for the wedding," he affirmed. "Kaiba, listen, if you--"

"I didn't come here to tell her I changed my mind," he cut him off coldly. Yugi just smiled helplessly.

"I didn't think you would have."

"Good to know your faith in me hasn't wavered," he said slyly--Yugi laughed.

"Why did you, then, if not to see her?" 

He blew on the steaming contents of his mug, pointedly avoiding his eyes as he replied, "She told me you'd hoped I would meet with you again, and I've already disappointed her once."

Kaiba didn't notice him beaming at him. "Kaiba...you don't have to try to force a friendship with me just for her sake--"

"I'm not doing this for her."

"Oh really?" he sounded incredulous.

"The funny thing about my assistant, Yugi," he started, tugging an ironic smirk from the corner of his lips, "is that she has this _overwhelmingly_ sickening way of seeing the best in people. Even though the only parts they allow anyone to see are rotten and despicable--much like a duelist I know."

The lines around Yugi's mouth turned downard; tired and sad. "Kaiba..."

"I never deserved your kindness, Yugi." He stared at a spot of spilled cream on the table, not noticing Yugi reaching to touch his hand. He didn't pull away when the shorter fingers touched his.

"Kaiba, you can't fault yourself for--"

"Yes I can, Yugi." He wasn't argumentative, just frank; he didn't soften, yet he didn't aim to pierce with his words. (Saying them actually stung a lot less than he believed they would have.) "You treated me like a friend when all I ever did was push you away. You had every reason and right to hate me, but you didn't. I should thank you."

His lips pursed into a thin line. He looked caught between pleased and bewildered, like he'd been waiting years to hear this validation, yet didn't know what to do now that he had it. "Kaiba..."

He corrected him, but softly. "Seto. Seto is fine."

Yugi's eyes watered visibly and it took too much effort to keep from groaning. "Really, Yugi?"

"I'm sorry," he apologized, choked up, "I just--I'm so glad! I really have cared about you, for so long, I just--"

"Alright, don't be embarrassing about it," Kaiba grunted into his mug, feeling heat crawl up his neck. "You don't have to make it into an ordeal."

"I'm just--happy that we can finally be friends," Yugi melted, placing a warm hand on Kaiba's wrist and Kaiba allowed him, noting how soothed he suddenly felt--he snorted, then half-smirked. He supposed he could get accustomed to this Letting-People-Touch-Him thing.

Unlike you, Yugi hadn't known how much he preferred silence if nothing of importance needed to be said, but Kaiba went along with his small talk. They talked about Duel Academy, about Pegasus--about Kaiba Land. About the rest of Yugi's friends. Joey had recently moved in with Tristan after losing his father and Mai apparently had been living with Tea for over two years. Yugi swiped through his phone gallery to show him the girls' most recent pictures together and photos from his most recent dinner with the guys. Kaiba frowned at how much Joey had seemed to have grown--they lived in the same city, yet he was sure it'd been years since he'd seen him last.

"You know, once you open up Kaiba Land out there," Yugi began, wistful, "Joey and Tristan and I would love to take a trip out there to see it--I'm sure Tea and Mai would love to meet us there."

"Already planning how to take advantage of your inside connections, Yugi?" 

Yugi laughed heartily and played along. "Like you weren't going to offer."

"How did you know I would?" He was genuinely curious. 

"You did us plenty of kindnesses too, back then," he told him, smiling. "Even if you acted like a brat about it."

Kaiba ignored the heat of embarrassment in his neck. "Whatever. Wheeler's flying coach, though."

Yugi laughed again. He wouldn't dream of saying it out loud, but it was good to hear that laugh.

He didn't stay much longer--just long enough to finish another mug of coffee and discuss potential vacation plans for later in the year. He kept an eye on the clock, making sure he gave himself enough to time to make it out before you could possibly come home. He supposed Yugi knew, because he was the one who brought up the time when it hit eight o' clock. 

"I won't tell her you came, if you don't want me to," he said, but Kaiba shook his head.

"I have a feeling she'll know I was here anyway."

The shorter man surveyed him thoughtfully for a moment longer than what felt comfortable--Kaiba cleared his throat. 

"Sorry, I just--" Yugi paused, scratching the back of his neck. "You know she really--"

"I know," Kaiba finished, plainly. "I know."

"You know she'd never hurt you," Yugi's voice cracked. "She'd never leave you."

Kaiba sighed a small laugh, melancholic. "That's what they always say--and then they do."

"Isn't it worth a try?" 

"It's not about whether it's worth it or not, Yugi." Kaiba smoothed the rumples in his coat and reached for the keys in his pocket. "There's only so much the heart can handle after it's been broken--I'm actually not sure if mine was ever whole to begin with." 

Rather than say something outlandishly cliche in regards to broken hearts, Yugi just smiled weakly, leaning against the doorway as his former rival, old friend started down the staircase. He waved although his back was turned. "See you at the wedding, Seto."

"See you at the--" He whirled around, furrowed his brow. "Wait. _You're_ going?"

"Yeah, I'm going with Mokuba."

"With Moku--hold on a minute--"

"Goodnight, Seto!"

The door locked with a click and Kaiba bustled down and out of the game shop in a huff, phone ringing in hand as he practically flew to his car. His brother picked up within a moment as he jerked the seat-belt across his chest. "Mokuba--Mokuba! You have ten seconds from the end of this sentence to explain yourself before I cut off the electricity on your side of the manor--"


	12. Chapter 12

Despite it being one of the busiest weeks Kaiba Corp. was likely to have all year, the CEO hadn't seen much of you himself. Closing the office for five days meant that everyone had to work three times as hard beforehand to ensure everything would be in order for the grand opening of the park--not a single thought should have been spared for the wedding at all, but Kaiba couldn't stop himself from thinking about you. You seemed completely fine, despite the rejection, smiling as you delivered his coffee and faxes as if you hadn't been embarrassed at all. You made no mention of Yugi or of the ceremony--you'd actually kept so quiet about it that Mokuba was rocked to the core to find out you'd even asked him. 

"You said 'no'?!" he screeched, nearly spilling tea all over the desk. 

"I didn't give it a second thought, I just..." Kaiba trailed off, shifting a pile of folders and sighing. "Can you get your ass off my desk and sit in the other chair like a normal person, or--"

"But it's just for the wedding, just for fun," Mokuba guessed, now leaning on the arm of his chair. "I mean--right?"

"I don't know--I just said no," Kaiba admitted, wavering. "I can't allow my actions to be misconstrued for something serious."

"But what if she just wanted to hang out?" he asked brightly. "Ya know, talk to you like friends, without work stuff--"

"She explicitly said the word 'date,'" he spat, rolling his eyes. "I'm not going to pretend I know exactly what's going through her head, Mokuba, but 'date' implies something serious."

Mokuba sighed. "You say that word a lot, you know. 'Serious.'"

"And?"

"Well, you're the most 'serious' person I know, Seto," he started, "and yet when it comes to other people, it's the last word you want to use to describe your feelings."

Kaiba took in a sharp breath through his nostrils, his eyes steeling over his brother's face. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"I've watched you do it my whole life, Big Brother," he started to explain, and Kaiba was already exasperated-- "You have such a reluctance to letting people get close to you. Or to have it mean something when you get involved in something intimate, physical or otherwise. I know we've talked about it before, but maybe you should--"

"I don't need to see a doctor about feelings, Mokuba," he snapped, his patience wearing on thin ice. "We're not having this discussion again, there's nothing wrong with me--"

"I've never said that there was!" Mokuba raised his voice, defiant--Kaiba rubbed at his temples. "I've tried telling you time and time again, and you never really listen to me!"

"Mokuba--" he barked, but his brother wouldn't take it sitting down--he slid back onto the desk, pushed papers aside and grasped his hand in his, squeezing it. 

"Stop assuming that that's what it is, it's not like that!" he raised his voice, eyes pleading. Kaiba groaned, more frustrated now at how upset he'd made him. "I just think you have a lot to figure out about yourself, a lot of things you kept bottled up and should let out, and you have a ton of intelligent, amazing counselors at your disposal to help you with it--"

"I've got hundreds of employees going through who-knows-what, with struggles I can't fathom having," Kaiba tried to keep his tone down, willing himself to stay calm. "I don't need to waste valuable time talking about my trivial _feelings_ \--"

"Your feelings are important, Seto," he cut him off, lowering his voice. He looked him in the eyes for a few long moments before visibly swallowing back tears and Kaiba clenched his jaw. "I know you don't like to think so, but they are. You're still a person, Big Brother, you're not a machine."

Hmph. Machine. That's what they'd called him throughout his life: robot, android, cyborg. He'd spent so many years hearing those descriptors from others that he'd made certain they kept believing they were true. It was easier, wasn't it, for those employed at the Corporation to look at him as a machine rather than a man. If not for the scars on his arms and back and the beating of his heart, he supposed he could have forgotten he was human, too--but Mokuba would never allow that. The only proof of his humanity, he knew, was his love for his brother--the only reminder left that emotions were acceptable. That some feelings were indeed important. He leaned his forehead against Mokuba's and sighed. 

"I'll think about it, okay?"

"Now we're getting somewhere," he half-smiled, almost satisfied. "It doesn't have to be tomorrow, or next week, or even next month--but please, Seto..."

He didn't say anything more, just smoothed his thumb over his brother's knuckles before letting go of his hand to finish the salad he had sitting out for lunch. Mokuba watched him eat, forehead wrinkled in worry, but shifted conversation to his excitement for the wedding. He was excited too--excited that it would soon be over-with and he could get back to focusing on Kaiba Land. Mokuba told him about his matching suits with Yugi and Kaiba shooed him out of his office soon after, remembering that he'd totally forgotten to have something tailored for the ceremony, of all things. He couldn't very well show up to his bodyguard's wedding in something he'd worn before. He grunted and reached for his phone, buzzing for your desk. 

"Yes, Boss?" you'd answered.

"My office, now." 

"Coming, sir."

He leaned his chin onto his hands, hearing your footsteps no less than five minutes later--you hadn't bothered knocking. 

"Everything alright, Mr. Kaiba?" you took an apprehensive step forward, wringing your hands.

"I need you to reschedule Princeton's four o' clock tomorrow for later next week and call Blanche, I need something tailored for the ceremony."

You blinked at him. "Oh--of course. Um. Is that all?"

"Yes?" he arched an eyebrow, realizing he'd been staring. "What?"

"Oh--nothing, I just," you stammered, picking the skin around your thumbnail, "you know you could have just asked me while we were on the phone--"

"You're my assistant and you'll come when I call you," he groused, "Is that understood?"

You bit at your thumb, nodding vigorously as you moved backward toward the door. "Y-Yeah, yeah of course--"

His eyes flickered. "Good girl." 

Your tongue ran along your bottom lip as you tried (and failed) to suppress a grin that he pretended not to catch. "You sure there's nothing else, Mr. Kaiba?"

Straightening his back in his seat, Kaiba heaved a breath, looking you over with guilt gnawing at his chest. He considered dismissing you without addressing the elephant in the room at all, but decided he couldn't, that he didn't want to. He sighed your name. "About your proposal..."

Pink flooding your cheeks, you shook your head. "Oh, don't, I--"

"I'm sorry, for rejecting you outright," he cut you off, lightening his tone. "I don't want you to take it personally, I just..."

The words he'd wanted to follow never reached his voice as he struggled silently, his fingers brushing around his mouth. The expectancy left your eyes as you nodded patiently after a moment, shrugging.

"I should have known better," you apologized and he frowned. "It's a public affair, all eyes will be watching you--people would talk...I wasn't thinking about how it could affect you, I--I'm sorry."

He rose from his seat, breathing out your name and you stepped forward in haste, a glint of something he'd seen in your eyes before but couldn't place, or didn't want to place: yearning, wanting. Your innocent way of expressing your suppressed salacity. He leaned back on his desk, surveying you with a zealous stare. 

"Had it not been inappropriate," he began, wishing he could eat his words already but hoping they couldn't possibly hurt now, "I would have asked you myself in the first place."

An endearing shade of fuchsia painted your cheeks as you shrunk under his gaze. "O-Oh? You're not just saying that, are you?"

"I don't say things I don't mean," he barked, moving toward you with long strides. You froze in place, hand curling in your hair as he towered over you. "You should know that by now, shouldn't you?"

You nodded helplessly, face impossibly pink and he felt his blood running far too hot as the air around you both condensed. "No, I--I guess you're right..."

"Of course I am," he said gruffly, watching your fingers twist around your strays of hair. "You can run along, now. We have a load of bullshit to deal with tomorrow before our little 'vacation'."

You spun on your heels and darted out of his office, looking back once over your shoulder to see him still smothering you with a ruttish glare. The door snapped shut and Kaiba released a heated groan, hyper-aware of his rising blood pressure and sweaty palms. If he were going to make it through this ceremony without cracking, he would need to exercise better self-control--but he would find that the farther along he tread, the less he really cared about behaving.

*

With well-pressed seams and diamond cuff-links, Seto Kaiba dully watched his reflections in the tri-fold as his stylist took a blow-dryer to his perfectly tousled hair, eyes darting from one mirror to another as his tailor attended to the hem of his new slacks. He smoothed a hand over his new waistcoat and groaned; Mokuba had talked him down from wearing a billowing longcoat ("It's not your wedding, Seto! Don't outshine the newlyweds!"), so he went with Blanche's suggestion of something simple--a twill vest with a mock-neck cut in the perfect shade of blue, the diagonal cut drawing the eyes to the broadness of his chest. Silver buttons, an accentuating KC-embezzled belt at his hips, plain dress shoes--he felt so exposed without layers upon layers of elaborate clothing. It felt almost wrong to be what he'd consider vastly underdressed for an event held at his own estate, but the longer he studied his mirror image, the more this particular aesthetic grew on him. 

Blanche rubbed a spot of mousse in her hands and mussed his hair as the other woman reached for a tiny black box resting on the vanity. She opened it to him, revealing a sterling silver broach molded into a "KC", minute diamonds encrusted within the letters. He smiled at it, turning it over in his hands once before pinning it to his chest. The women cooed over his appearance for a minute or two before leaving him be in the dressing room, the echoing chatter of the maids and butlers filling the space for a moment before near-silence resurfaced. 

Kaiba watched his chest rise on an inhale, a wave of some odd, misplaced emotion crashing over him as he scrutinized the man peering back at him through the looking glass. He inched closer to the glass, fixated on the blue of his own eyes as some small part of him wondered what he would have looked like had this been his own ceremony: more white, obviously, and more diamonds--and a fucking longcoat, dammit. Leather boots, a dragon broach, maybe even a sort of veiled headpiece, elaborate and exquisite--he grunted at himself, amused. It felt ridiculous to think about when he was absolutely certain marriage would never be in the cards for him. A soft knock at the door shattered his thoughts and he spat, "What?"

"Sir?" one of the maids called through the door. "Your jet is prepared for take-off whenever you're ready!"

"I'll be right there," he called back, snorting at his mirror image. He swung his blazer over his shoulder and tightened the watch around his wrist. 

*

While it had only been the first wedding he'd ever attended, Kaiba was almost certain he wanted it to be the last. Too many fussing babies, too much uncomfortable small talk with people he knew he'd not be meeting again, and God, all the crying--he'd lost his handkerchief during the exchange of vows to one of Roland's elderly relatives and absolutely did not need it back after it had been passed through the aisles of older women. No, Great Aunt Petunia or whoever ended up with it could keep it, he thought, pouring himself his third, maybe fourth glass of wine. He decided he wasn't going to keep count tonight after jumping out of the descending Blue-Eyes Jet and landing conveniently at the altar only ten minutes before the wedding march played. The blue and gold fireworks were a fantastic kick-off to the ceremony (despite what Roland's new wife thought) and he comfortably blended into the rest of the attendees after his dramatic entrance. A few reporters and editors wanted interviews, but for the most part, the paparazzi left him and the newlyweds alone once the reception started. Kaiba had floated to the back of the ballroom as the guests slowly flooded in from outside, watching the night unfold, realizing he actually hadn't seen you at all until--

"--Oh, shit--"

One misstep and you nearly tripped over your boss's shoes, gripping your glass of wine so tightly it could have cracked. He grasped your arm to steady you, swallowing hard upon taking in your image. 

It wasn't as if you never dressed up for work, because you did; you wore makeup to the office every day, had your hair done up in varied attractive styles--but there was something different about the way you looked that night. Something shone under the bronzy glow to your skin, the smoked out eyeliner, the way your hair fell in a curtain over one of your eyes--the way your posture and voice seemed to ooze sensuality and confidence. It felt like having a vision of some lost fantasy he didn't know he'd had come alive.

"Um, hi, Boss," you said shyly, tossing your hair over your bare shoulders. His eyes fell on your plunging neckline and the rhinestones glistening around your throat. 

"Hi," he said hoarsely, fighting to bring his gaze back up. 

"S-Sorry I didn't sit with you guys earlier," you wavered, looking up at him through your lashes. "I noticed Roland's grandmother was all alone and I just--"

"Don't worry about it," he told you, watching you swirl the wine around. "Are you enjoying yourself?"

You nodded, grinning brightly. "Yeah, it's been a nice night--everyone looks so happy, it's nice--oh, here--" Without warning, your free hand was suddenly on him and he flinched, nearly jumping a step backward but you insisted--it took him a beat to realize, you were just re-pinning the broach at his breast pocket. "Sorry, I just noticed it was falling off--"

"I don't remember hiring you for your observational skills," he scoffed, turning aside as you giggled. You glanced at him coyly and wet your lips.

"No, you hired me because I'm cute, right?"

"Just because you're off the clock doesn't mean that you can push buttons like that," he hissed, heat rising rapidly under his collar.

You smirked, cocking your head like a little dog as you took a quick sip from your glass. "Oh? What buttons am I pushing?"

"The wrong ones," he growled, taking the cup from you and finishing it himself. You laughed. You'd probably had about as much to drink as he had, yet it seemed to be hitting you twice as hard.

"I'm sorry! It's kinda fun teasing you, though--"

"Any more and you could get yourself in trouble."

"What kind of trouble?" You chewed on your lip and he felt something seize in his chest.

You were playing far too much now. With an inclination of his head, he dropped his voice lower, taking great pleasure in the way your shit-eating grin turned downward instantaneously--"The kind that would get you fired."

"O-Oh," was all you could manage. He chuckled, smirking only slightly.

"Don't look so worried. It's unbecoming of you."

If you had a retort, you didn't get to spit it out once a very giggly Mokuba sauntered over with Yugi in tow, both looking pleasantly tipsy. Kaiba folded his arms, watching you hug and share delighted squeals with them as he debated whether or not to ask his brother how much he'd drank (probably more than he said he would, but this was a special event and a safe space, so he decided not to prod). Mokuba embraced him, his chin resting on his shoulder as the older man rolled his eyes and pat his hair. 

"I see you're having a good time," he droned, unable to resist a grin--it was good to see his brother so happy.

"I'm having a _great_ time, Seto! How about you? You're having a good time right?" he laughed, tugging at Yugi's arm, who looked delighted. Kaiba drank in his semblance too, his matching snakeskin suit with the younger man and perfectly coiffed hair, incomplete without the leather collar around his neck. A nostalgic urge of desire trembled at his core, leaving as soon as it were coming while Yugi slurred out a sloppy greeting, holding onto his empty glass for comfort. 

"We should find a table," he suggested, resting a hand at Mokuba's back. "The first dance is about to start--"

"There's an empty one in the back over here," you waved to your far left. "I'll go claim it, if one of you will grab me another drink?"

"Are you sure you can handle another?" Kaiba had meant to tease, he was sure, but his voice poured out concern and you looked touched. 

"Oh, are you worried about me, Boss?" you purred, giggling like mad and he found himself chuckling. 

"It's not you that I'm worried about." You raised your immaculate brows, clearing your throat incredulously as Mokuba scolded you both for flirting so unashamedly in front of himself and Yugi. Kaiba cracked at him until he took you and Yugi to the table and poured drinks for both himself and for you, filling your cup considerably less than his own. 

The three of you made idle chatter while Kaiba quietly downed his wine, willing his heart to calm as you made kittenish eyes at him every so often. He only half-paid attention when Roland and his bride took to the dancefloor, watching instead how the dimming lights flickered over your skin, your cheeks and jewels shimmering under the glow. The feathery lashes cast alluring shadows under your eyes, candlelight reflecting in your irises. He could see the guests rising out of the corner of his eye, realizing everyone else was invited to join the dancing now, but didn't make any movement. Mokuba, however, nearly knocked over his chair as he extended his hand to you, asking you if you'd do him the honors. You followed him out without a glance at anyone else, laughing delightedly as Yugi's smile cracked wider. 

"I've never seen Mokuba so excited," he said to Kaiba, waking him out of his trance. He coughed, fidgeting with his watch. 

"He's never really been to a dance," he explained half-heartedly, watching his brother twirl you around a couple hundred feet away.

"Tea would have loved this," Yugi sighed wistfully, leaning his elbows on the table. "She loves weddings."

Kaiba quirked his brow. "Are you and Tea...?"

Yugi snapped up, shaking his head vigorously. "Are we--? Oh, no, no! I mean, we--well, it was a couple years ago, and after Mai went to live with her, we just--"

"Mai?" Kaiba was almost intrigued. "She and Valentine are--"

"No, no!" Yugi laughed uneasily, waving his hands. "I mean, we and Joey--well, it's kind of complicated, I wouldn't want to bombard you with too much information--"

"Wheeler too?" Kaiba snorted, crossing his legs. "You're leading a more exciting life than I thought, Yugi."

"It's not that exciting," he blushed, overtly embarrassed. "Being far away makes it hard, but being open about everything has really helped--at the end of the day, we're all really good friends, foremost, and that's what's kept everybody afloat all this time--and Mokuba's been really accepting and understanding--"

Kaiba's eyes flashed, suddenly feeling very sober as he said, "Oh, he'd better be okay with it, whatever you're doing, or you know, Yugi--"

"Of course!" Yugi croaked, flushed completely crimson. "Of course, I would never--"

Kaiba laughed, a bit louder than he intended do, drawing eyes from the surrounding tables as he threw his head back. "I'm just bullshitting you, Yugi. I know you wouldn't hurt him if your life depended on it."

The color slowly evened out in Yugi's face as he settled back in his chair, laughing bashfully. "You know, Kaiba--I've said this before, and I'm sorry for sounding like a broken record, but I'm glad we can sit here and laugh together." 

The CEO felt his smile falter, watching his former rival's eyes dim as he struggled not to think of all the wasted time, wasted years spent being jealous of both frivolous card game victories and of feelings he never tried to understand beneath all the misplaced contempt. Without a proper reply, on his drunken high, he stood straight up and held out his hand. 

With both hands on his and a tender smile, Yugi let him lead him past emptying tables and wavering candlesticks, the live band starting up a soothing, jazzy tune. A few heads turned to watch the towering president wrap a protective arm about his waist, but he felt no gaze upon him other than Yugi's as they swayed on the spot, quickly falling into flow together. 

"I shouldn't be surprised that you know how to dance," Yugi quirked, his palm clammy against Kaiba's. 

"I could say the same for you," Kaiba admitted, watching him chuckle. "I would hope you'd know one thing or another, having been so close to Tea."

"She taught me everything she knows, and it's pretty obvious what I've retained," Yugi laughed, following the pattern of his feet, making a square with their strides. "I'm pretty good with ballroom dancing, but I'm a little awkward at the club."

"I don't do much dancing at clubs," Kaiba offered, thinking about it. "I don't really go to clubs very often as it is, anyway."

"We should all to go together when we visit her," Yugi almost chirped, and he grinned, entertained. 

"Maybe after the hype of Kaiba Land dies down."

"Right, yeah." Yugi's hand slipped out of his and settled on his hip, making a mirror image of their touches. Kaiba still led them while Yugi lazily followed, closing his eyes, humming along to the saxophone as Kaiba scanned the room over the crown of his head. He saw Mokuba before he saw you, toothily grinning as he swung you side to side, riding out his inebriated state. Oh, his crash would be bad, he thought, thoroughly entertained, but felt his blood start running white-hot when he caught your eye. You bit on your lip and hid in the crook of his brother's neck for a split second before whispering something to him and breaking away--

"Yugi," he groused, releasing his hands from his shoulder and waist, "would you mind if I..."

The shorter man gave his shoulder a heartened squeeze before leaning in close to whisper, "It's not too late."

He arched his brow, turning as Yugi started to slip off--"I...what? Yugi--"

He found a window through dancing couples and grinned at him, motioning to his ear and then pointing to his chest. Listen to your heart, he meant. Kaiba resisted rolling his eyes and inhaled sharply, straightening himself before meandering through the thinning crowd to find you. Mokuba had vanished, presumably off to down another beer for good measure, leaving you to weave through clusters of guests until his hands found your waist and you whirled about in a slight panic--

"Oh, shit, it's you," you breathed, hesitantly resting your hands on his forearms as he tentatively pulled you closer. 

"It's me," he affirmed, feeling like that sounded very silly, but he was too dizzied from the wine and the anticipation to care very much. "Is Mokuba alright?"

You nodded, laughing, gingerly putting your hands on his shoulders and you both had begun to sway. The band struck up another jazzy melody and the lights had lifted only slightly, the chandelier overhead sending shimmering diamonds dancing across your chest and arms. "He's fine. I think he's definitely gonna be throwing up later tonight, but he's having a lot of fun. How's Yugi?" 

"Fine," he replied, trying to keep his hands in place at your waist--the fabric of your gown was so soft, smooth to the touch; he couldn't help thinking of your skin under it. "It's becoming easier to just--let him in."

"I'm so glad," you said it, and meant it whole-heartedly. 

"I'm surprised you didn't ask him to come with you," he started, but added, "Well. Given Mokuba hadn't already."

"I still wouldn't have, I don't think," you told him. 

"Why not?" 

"Because I wanted to be here with you."

"Oh," he breathed, watching your chest swell and shrink. "Well. You are, aren't you?"

Your teeth were bared as you giggled, agreeing. "Yeah, technically, I am."

Unsure if you intended or not to push your hips against his, Kaiba felt the knots in his stomach churn, his hands balling into fists as you looked curiously up at him, smiling obliviously. Brazen, he touched a hand to the straps of your dress, running a finger between the fabric and your skin and relishing the sound of your labored breathing.

"This is pretty."

"W-What?" you stammered.

"Your dress, obviously," he said gruffly, ghosting the hand down your front, watching you swallow the lump in your throat.

"O-Oh," you wavered. "Thank you."

"You look good in blue," he said knowingly, and you sighed.

"Thanks, I totally did it on purpose." Your sarcasm wasn't going to save you. He gripped you just a bit tighter, slowly guiding you toward the darkest corner of the floor. 

"Of course you did." It wasn't accusing if it was true. You stuck your chin out defiantly, smoothing your hands across his shoulders.

"Yeah, so what if I wanted to impress you?"

Kaiba bit back a snicker, his hands traveling further down your back. Leaning in closer, he bent his forehead so that it nearly touched yours. "You think you have what it takes to impress me?"

"Like you'd give me the chance to show you."

"Don't make assumptions," he snapped, but you challenged him.

"So you would?"

" _Don't_. Make assumptions." You snorted, brushing it off as both of you drew closer, to each other and to the back of the ballroom, where the lights had nearly faded completely. The band had quieted and the DJ had taken over, a sensual R &B hit from years ago now thudding through the speakers, making it harder to hear but giving you a good excuse to stay close.

"You know, Boss, we never did finish that game," you hummed pleasantly, your mouth inches away from his. 

"What?"

"The one we played with Mokuba," you simpered at him. "We still need to find out who wins."

"Seriously? You want to finish a juvenile guessing game?" he was almost annoyed, but the worser part of him was struck with intrigue and enticement. 

"Why not? You were so sure I'd lose anyway, what's the harm in me making a few guesses?"

"The game is skewed without Mokuba, we'd be finishing against the rules we'd established," he pretended to fight it, but his mirth was too obvious.

"I don't think he'll mind, do you?" you crooned, batting your lashes. His fingers brushed over the slit in your dress and you breathed a whimper.

"You're just trying to win a dinner with me," he said saucily, moving your hips to the bassline. You reached up and held your hands behind his neck--your chests were nearly touching--

"Maybe."

"Don't deny it."

"I wasn't," you purred. "But it's fine if you don't want to, I just thought you'd enjoy the challenge--"

"I didn't turn it down," he fought you, his chest tightening. "Start guessing."

You immediately obeyed, taking in a short breath before you began. "You learned how to waltz when you were twelve, the maids taught you. You love jazz. And you own twenty-seven white suits from eight different designers."

"True, true, false. Only four different designers. Try again." 

"You hate rainy days. Your blood type is A. You hate hospitals."

"I can take pleasure in a rainy day. The other two are true--come on, you're boring me."

"Am I?" you mused, trailing your hands down over his chest as you subtly rolled your hips against his. "Should I be making bolder statements?"

He bit down on his lip, hoping to the Egyptian Gods you couldn't feel his heart racing--his chest rumbled with the grouse of his voice. "If you want to make this entertaining rather than like a chore, yes."

"Fine--then I think you've never had a serious relationship. I think you look at dating as a waste of time, but you're curious to know what it's like. And you haven't been kissed in a year."

Kaiba scoffed. A laudable attempt. "True, sort-of true, lie. I made out with Jessica the housekeeper about a month ago."

"Isn't she married?"

"No, the other Jessica."

"Oh, the brunette one."

"Right."

"Dammit. I was close."

His hands traversed up your exposed back, his nails grazing your skin in a feather-light caress and you shivered against him. Close, indeed. "Continue."

You took a pause, averting his stare as you continued circling your hips to the music. "You don't like to label your sexuality. You've slept with...three people? And--you're interested in someone right now."

"True, complete lie, true."

"Really? More or less?" you sounded inveigled and he grunted.

"None of your business--"

"All women?"

"You have some gall to expect that I'd ever limit myself--"

"So it's true?" You pushed against him. The bass resonated in his ribcage and he hoped it masked his heartbeat--

"You have to guess, now, don't you?" he dared you.

"You've had partners of all genders. You never slept with anyone you didn't work with. And the person you're into is someone I know?"

"True, lie, and true." He took your hand and twirled you around, arms hemming in around your waist as he held you against him. He watched your chest heave, listened to your erratic breathing as you danced against him, hands combing the slit in your dress, the warmth of your skin setting fire to the nerves in his fingers--

"You're getting tired of this game," you huffed, "you know I'm going to win, and you know what I want to ask you, but you know that I'm--"

"That was four, not three," he growled into your ear and you let out a helpless moan. He glanced around to make sure surrounding guests were absorbed in everything else and nearly crushed you against the wall, one hand at your hip, the other around your throat. "But they're all true statements, so that means you've won our little game, doesn't it?"

The side of your face nearly plastered to the wall, you giggled anxiously, still grinding against him as if you weren't flustered at all. "Yeah--"

"Yeah, congratulations, you'll have your dinner with Seto Kaiba," he groused, pressing a thumb to your pulse-point and smirking at the speed of your heart. "But you know I don't like being toyed with, so I can still make you tell me--what did you _really_ want to ask me?"

"I--I shouldn't, it's--inappropriate--"

He huffed a laugh into your ear, playing with the jewels around your neck. "And the rest of this hasn't been?"

You groaned, squirming to turn around and he permitted you, his hands still pinning you against the wall. You grasped his wrist, your eyes agleam with anxiety and excitement and arousal, a jumbled mess of emotion-- "I don't want...I don't want to say it out loud, because then it feels so...so--"

"Serious," he finished for you, and you nodded, staring up at him dolefully, like a guilty puppy. Kaiba wet his lips, his fingers coiling about your throat just hard enough to feel the craving coursing through your veins. "Well I can tell you that the only 'serious' thing about anything going on here...is how hard I 'seriously' want to fuck you." 

He felt you gulp, watched your eyes haze over in a cloud of yearning as you leaned forward to kiss him, but he held you at length--he couldn't do this here. He wasn't entirely sober, but he was sensible enough to realize that if this were going to happen, tonight, right now, you'd need to escape to privacy, quickly. He grasped your arm, nearly pulling it from its socket as he dragged you through the flock of guests to a revolving door that you had no idea existed in the grand ballroom. Your heels clacked down a marbled hallway as you followed him to an elevator--he slammed a fist against the button for 'up' and both of you panted, diving inside once the doors pulled open--

His hands were at your throat again as his lips crashed into yours, a sloppy clashing of teeth and tongues as you desperately tried to taste each other. You clawed at his chest, snaking your arms under his blazer and he shrugged it off, grabbing at your face as he pulled your bottom lip between his teeth. One by one, you fumbled with the buttons of his waistcoat as he pulled and ripped at the sashes and straps of your dress, eventually tugging it off your shoulders to expose your brassiere. Once his vest came undone, he dove at your chest, biting tamelessly at your glistening skin. Your fingers wound through his hair as you howled, bucking against his hardening length and he picked you up, pinning your hips up to the elevator walls. 

"God, Kaiba, Kaiba--"

He stopped dead, swallowing hard as he looked deeply into your eyes, considering you while he panted. You licked your lips between yearning moans, grasping at his open shirt--he half-smirked. 

"Seto," he finally said, almost gently. "Seto." 

Confusion swept across your face, just for a second as you processed what he'd said. Kaiba breathed you in and you kissed him hard and open-mouthed, your tongue gliding alongside his. It seemed you understood his request, for "Seto" was all you could mutter once he pushed his hard-on against your exposed underwear. Digging his nails into your thighs, he bucked against you, one hand crushed behind your back on the wall--your arms were draped over his shoulders as the two of you would get caught in a mess of a kiss and then suck and nip at each other's necks. You moaned his name, over and over and his head started to pound, it was all he heard and yet he couldn't get enough, your hot breath in his ear as he left gruesome marks along your neck. 

The ping of the elevator reaching the second floor shook you both from your reverie and your arms instinctively fell, as if the door had opened to some preying eyes, but not even a ghost had been there. Kaiba didn't set you down, just swung your legs over his arms to carry you toward the lounge. You pecked and nipped at his neck, clinging to his open shirt and he groaned your name.

"Be patient," he bid you, but you just giggled in his ear.

"I've been patient enough, haven't I?"

"You're a brat, you know that?" he said with a quirk of his lips. 

"Only sometimes, I promise," you said sincerely, licking at the shell of his ear and he felt his knees quiver--he pressed the face of his wristwatch against the memo screen, unlocking the lounge with a soft beep. He'd barely made it the fifty feet to the chaise to slam you down, diving at your neck with more merciless bites.

Your nails dug into his scalp, pulling at his hair as you thrust up into him and he moved a hand down to massage your clit through fabric. 

"S-Seto--"

He huffed out a laughing breath, face burning as he felt how soaked he'd made you. "Gods, you're so wet...you've been like this all night, haven't you?" 

Your lip caught between your teeth, you nodded, suppressing a guilty grin and he laughed again. "You thirsty little bitch."

You'd made a noise that sounded both like an offended scoff and a delighted sigh and he hoped for a moment he hadn't hurt your feelings with his language--it wasn't like you'd had a chance to discuss what was and wasn't off the table when it came to this. But you pulled him by the shirtfront and bit at his lip, breathing into his mouth--"I love being your little bitch--" 

The last syllable caught on a choke as he clenched his fist around your neck, just enough to make your breaths more ragged. He talked against your mouth, moving his fingers in circles around your clit through your sopping panties--

"Oh, you aren't just yet. But I'll train you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lord one of these days i won't have to apologize for such sporadic updates in the notes LOL 
> 
> if i may tell you a secret, this was actually the first chapter i had originally written for this fic, and it's crazy reading through it now and seeing how much i changed, even the smallest details like what kaiba actually wore to the wedding. 
> 
> going through this i realized i don't think i ever really described mokuba very much in this piece, but he's about 17/18 here, putting kaiba at about 23/24 (i think they're either 5 or 6 years apart, but i can never remember for sure) (the timeline of this fic falls a couple of years before the opening of duel academy, so not quite ten years post-dm). i like to imagine an older mokuba nearly as tall as seto but still kicking his feet sitting on top of the desk :>
> 
> i had a particular dress in mind for reader, but the more i started to describe it the less it ended up matching my original vision and i ended up forgetting wtf she was wearing by the end. it's not like she's gonna have it on much longer, so :)
> 
> as always thank you for your patience, this was a really long one to make up for such a pause between chapters. i'm not sure i'll finish another until after halloween/youmacon, so til then, happy reading <3


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